wsta journal: vol 54, no 1: february 2013
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March 2013 http://www.wsta.net Vol.54 No.1
WSTA 2014 Conference
Spokane
Oct 17-19, 2014 at the Spokane Convention Center
Focusing on NGSS in the context of STEM
The Next Generation Science Standards are
Scheduled to be Released this Month
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WSTA is an organization dedicated to advocating and promoting
quality science education for all, at all levels of instruction.
Notices:
Materials in this journal, except for advertisements, may be reprinted without charge; credit to the source
would be appreciated.
This journal is printed on recycled paper.
WSTA recognizes the importance of classroom safety and strongly promotes it. However, the ultimate
responsibility to follow established safety guidelines rests with classroom teachers of science.
This Washington Science Teachers Association Journal is the official publication of WSTA and is published
four times a year in the months of March, May, September, and November. A portion of the WSTA
membership fee is for the subscription to this journal. Periodical postage is paid at the Mail Entry Unit
USPS#096130, ISSN# 0164-7369, 3150 Orleans, Bellingham, WA 98226.
Postmaster: Send address changes to: Diane Reid
WSTA Membership
PO Box 843
Ephrata, WA 98823
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Table of Contents
March 2013 Vol.54 No.1
WSTA
Words from the WSTA President ……….……………………………………………………………………….. 4
WSTA President-Elect Report .……………………………….………………………………………………….. 5
WSTA Treasurer’s Report ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
WSTA Region 3 Update .………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
WSTA Region 7 Update ..…………………………………………………………………………………………7
WSTA Journal Update ………………………………............................................................................................ 8
2013 WSTA Board Elections Meet Your Candidates! ..........................................................................................10
WSTA 2014 Conference ………………………………………………………………………………………... 24
WSTA Board of Directors, 2012-13 ……………………………………………………………………………. 35
How and When to Submit a WSTA Journal Article ……………………………………………………………... 3
State and Nation
OSPI Science Curriculum Update: NGSS in WA? ……………………………………………………………...16
Washington MESA Day 2013 …………………………………………………………………………………...17
Learning Progressions, a TOSOS Article ……………………………………………………………………..…18
Next Generation Science Teaching Exemplars NGSX …………………………………………………………. 22
Report of the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education .…………………………………. 23
2013 NSTA Area Conference in Portland …………………………………………………………………….…24
Global Health Awareness through Data Correlations …………………………………………………………... 25
How to Effectively Teach about Energy ………………………………………………………………………... 33
Seattle Science Festival ……………………………………………………………………….............................34
How and When to Submit a WSTA Journal Article
Please send articles, announcement, and advertisements in Microsoft Word with little to no formatting or a
finished PDF of an announcement or advertisement to: Roy Beven at [email protected]
Please include pictures and graphics with a description whenever possible.
The journal is published quarterly in March, May, September, and November. Please e-mail submissions by
February 1st, April 1
st, August 1
st, and October 1
st to be included in the subsequent journal
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Words from the WSTA President
Midge Yergen
Message from the President
Spring is almost here but with that comes MSP and
Biology EOC assessments. WSTA has been busy
providing Biology EOC professional development
opportunities around the state. We hope you have
had the opportunity to attend one of the sessions.
Teachers who have attended have reported that the
sessions were very beneficial in helping them
prepare their students for the BEOC.
WSTA has a new website! It has been a long time
in the making, but it is up and beautiful! You can
see upcoming events, renew your membership, and
contact your regional representative or other board
members, as well as many other things. Please visit
the new site at www.wsta.net.
The final review of the Next Generation Science
Standards (NGSS) has been completed. As a ‘Lead
Partner State’, Washington has been on top of the
review process. Many review events were held
around the state. Hopefully you were able to either
participate in a review event or reviewed and
commented on the document yourself. ‘Achieve’
and the writing team have read and considered
every piece of information they have received.
There were several changes to this final document
based on comments received on the previous
review, so we are being heard!
Are you making plans for the 2013 NSTA Regional
Conference in Portland, Oregon, October 24-26?
The conference will begin with concurrent sessions
on Thursday, October 24, at 8:00 AM and end on
Saturday, October 26, at 12 Noon. Housing and
registration information will be available in May on
the NSTA web page and we will have a link to the
site on the WSTA page as well.
DID YOU KNOW WSTA MEMBERS RECEIVE
THE NSTA MEMBER PRICE WHEN
REGISTERING FOR THE PORTLAND NSTA
CONFERENCE?
You will need to check the box that says you are a
WSTA member for that to apply. Checking the box
also helps us keep track of our members’ attendance
at the conference. Your $25 annual WSTA
membership is a bargain to score the ‘NSTA
Member rate’! WSTA will be there and will have
Washington Clock Hours available for your
attendance at the conference at the WSTA table.
Because of the NSTA conference in Portland,
WSTA will not host a 2013 conference. WSTA
will, however, continue to offer professional
development opportunities around the state in 2013.
WSTA will host its 2014 conference in Spokane at
the Spokane Convention Center. If you live in the
Spokane area and would like to help with the
conference planning, send me an e-mail at
[email protected] and I will make sure it gets
to the conference chair.
This is a secondary (grades 7-12) go-round for the
Presidential Awards in Mathematics and Science
Teaching. Educators with a minimum of 5 years of
full time teaching experience in science or math are
eligible to apply. You may nominate a colleague or
yourself by going to the PAEMST website at
www.paemst.org . Nominations must be submitted
by April 1 and applications are due May 1. The
Presidential Awards program is the highest level of
recognition given to science and math educators in
our country. Mentors will be available to help
applicants.
I hope you have a wonderful spring and that your
students remain engaged and motivated through the
rest of the year. Thank you for all you do for the
children in our state!
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WSTA President-Elect Report
John Parker
These are exciting times in science education! Presently, we are on the verge of having and potentially adopting
the new Next Generation Science Standards, we have the new Common Core Math and English Language Arts
standards, STEM education is at the fore-front of many publications and happening in schools, the new Biology
Collection of Evidence (COE) is being launched, and districts are grappling with how to improve instruction for
all students through the instructional frameworks (5D, Danielson, and Marzano) they have adopted. Wow,
could there be anything more on our horizon?
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of your membership in WSTA, and how it will be important to
stay informed as a science educator during these times. More so, we hope you share with others how their $25
membership fee is well spent and helping us provide professional development and ongoing communication to
our science teachers in Washington State. Presently, we are working hard to develop plans to provide
professional development around the Next Generation Science Standards and how we, as a state, plan to
implement them.
As an organization, we have changed the structure of our website so we will be able to deliver science teaching
and learning information to you electronically. Most importantly, we want to continue to hear from you, the
science teacher, on what we can do as an organization to improve our service. Please do not hesitate to provide
input to one of the WSTA board members; their email address is on our webpage at www.wsta.net .
Thank you for your time and energy teaching science! We look forward to serving you as an organization.
WSTA Treasurer’s Report
Karen Madsen
As I have reported in the past, the finances of your Washington Science Teachers Association continue to be
sound. We have nearly $80,000 in endowment funds for awards and scholarships and a $14,800 short-term CD
for savings as well. The Yakima Conference was financially successful with revenues exceeding expenses by
just over $8,600. Careful management of funds has enabled a much-needed update of the website and the
continuation of high quality professional development opportunities such as this journal, the conference in
Yakima in October and a series of workshops on the Biology End of Course assessment to science teachers
across the state. You can rest assured that your dues are well-spent, and we would deeply appreciate your letting
your teacher colleagues know that and asking them to join as well.
As always, feel free to contact me at [email protected] with any questions
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WSTA Region 3 Update
Andy Boyd
Region 3 is very busy getting ready for Biology End-of-Course Exam, Next Generation Science
Standards (NGSS), and learning opportunities throughout K-12 education.
On May 23rd, Grant County PUD, REC, and Moses Lake School District are hosting the "Solar Races
and Energy Science Days". Fifth graders across all of Grant County Washington will meet at Big
Bend Community College and learn about energy as well as racing their own solar car. Local high
school students are also involved with each energy station and building of some of the energy models.
This is a wonderful and educational event, growing exponentially over the past few years.
The North Central ESD has also been providing professional learning experience around the Next
Generation Science Standards and the Biology End of Course Exam. Please visit their website for
more local opportunities: http://www.ncesd.org/Page/824
Region 3 is a beautiful region of our wonder state. Visiting is a must!
High school students and their advisor,
Dr. Boyd (the "kid" in the middle)
Sunset over Sunlakes Water spilling over Grand Coulee Dam
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WSTA Region 7 Update
Vicki Horton
As the WSTA Region 7 Representative , it is my intention to keep you informed and connected. One way to do
this is through the WSTA journal. I f you have a special science event or classroom story that you would like to
see highlighted in this journal, please let me know. I am happy to include what you send me. My email address
It’s science fair season here. Many Region 7 science teachers are preparing their students for school wide and
regional science fairs. The Washington State Science and Engineering Fair, held on April 5th and 6th, offers
science fair competition opportunities for all students. Additionally many students from schools in Thurston
County are preparing for the South Sound Regional Science and Engineering Fair (SSRSF) held at Pacific
Lutheran University on Saturday March 23rd. The SSRSF and the Washington State Science and Engineering
Fair both have websites that are valuable resources for those thinking about introducing science fair projects to
their students.
Seventh grade science students in the Olympia School District are preparing to investigate the concept of energy
transfer while researching heat islands throughout downtown Olympia. With help from the Pacific Educational
Institute, 600 students will collect temperature data this spring.
The Science Leadership Network (SLN), presented by our ESD’s science coordinator Craig Gabler (with a bit of
support from Vicki Horton), is a three part series designed to connect science teachers as they delve into current
science educational research. The final SLN is April 17th, and secondary science teachers are welcome to attend
whether they have attended prior sessions or not. Sign up for this class using www.myesd.org.
Day two of the End-of-Course Biology workshop, co-facilitated by ESD’s Craig Gabler and WSTA’s Vicki
Horton, was held on March 13th.
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WSTA Journal Update
Roy Beven, WSTA Communication Liaison
This WSTA Journal is about to make use of today's media. The WSTA President has established a committee to
propose how the Journal, and other communication to the membership, should be in the very near future.
One strong possibility is an e-Journal much like NSTA's. NSTA is a major science educational publisher, as
demonstrated from their website at: http://www.nsta.org/publications/journals.aspx
When members want to read the e-Journal online, they see this interface and can page through it with many
options, shown in the toolbars, that are not available in the printed version.
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Another possibility is a newsletter like MIT's MIT Blossoms electronic newsletter, available to all at
http://blossoms.mit.edu/news/newsletters
Please contact Roy Beven at [email protected] with your ideas about evolving the WSTA Journal into a web-
based communication, as well as all the other ideas you have about the way WSTA should help you!
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2013 WSTA Board Elections Meet Your Candidates!
It is once again time for the annual WSTA board
elections. The following individuals seek to serve
the membership of WSTA, as we continue to move
science education forward in our state.
As members of WSTA, you will be receiving
directions for on-line voting. Members will receive
an individual voting identification which will allow
you to log on to the WSTA website elections area
and cast your votes!
The President-Elect prepares for and supports the office of the President. The term of the President-Elect is 2
years. The President-Elect then serves as President for 2 years, and finally serves as Past President for one
additional year (a 5-year term).
Educational Background:
M. Ed. Natural Science/Science Education: Contextual, Unified Science WWU
B.A. Physics: University of California at Irvine, St. Andrews University, Scotland
Endorsements in physics, physical science, general science, mathematics, and tech-ed
Teaching secondary science, mathematics, and technology education for 22 years; including AP, IB, and voc-ed
courses. Also teaching graduate science methods and content courses for pre-service and in-service teachers.
Current Work Position:
Northwest Evaluation Association Senior Science Content Specialist
Educational Consultant and Professional Development Provider, Curriculum Author
WSTA Activities:
Journal Editor (2008-present)
Assessment Liaison (2002-2008)
Regional Representative (2000-2002)
Conference Presenter (1998 to present)
Other Professional Activities:
Founded the state’s Science Assessment Leadership Team, SALT (2001-8008)
Council of State Science Supervisors (2008-present)
NSTA: Member, conference presenter, author (1995-present)
International Technology Education Association: member, conference presenter, grant writer (1997-2002)
Statement
The Next Generation Science Standards will demand a quantum change of how we provide students the
opportunity to learn science. I have the opportunity to dedicate even more of my time and energy to help
WSTA provide information, voice, and professional development to our members.
President-Elect Candidate: Roy Beven, Bellingham
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The Executive Secretary serves as the official liaison for WSTA, maintains all official records and facilitates
the “daily working” of the Board.
Educational Background:
B.S. Medical Technology (Biology & Chemistry); Gonzaga University
Secondary Education Credentials, Gonzaga University
M.Ed. Public Health Education, Boston University
Current Work Position:
Science Department Chair
Biology and AP Biology Teacher, Auburn Riverside High School
WSTA Activities:
WSTA Executive Secretary – 1 term
Regional Representative (10) – 2 terms – 6 years
Professional Development – Design Workshops, NASA Grant - PD, Bio EOC - PD
Member of WSTA Conference planning committees
Other Professional Activities:
Science Assessment Leadership Team (SALT)
Science Education Partnership Lead Teacher & Participant (FHCRC)
National Biology Teacher Association
National Science Teachers Association
Science Leadership Team for Auburn School District
Statement:
I have had the privilege of serving the WSTA membership as both regional rep and executive secretary over the
past 9 years. I would like to continue the honor of serving WSTA as executive secretary. I have two passions,
one is science education for our students and the other is giving service to others. As WSTA executive
secretary, I hope to work on both.
Executive Secretary Candidate: Judy Shaw, Auburn
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The Regional Representatives are the chief communicators of WSTA information in their Regions. They
provide/host professional development opportunities, work closely with the other regional representatives,
participate in the WSTA conferences, attend board meetings and provide science education leadership within
their respective regions.
Educational Background:
A.A. Spokane Community College
B.A Eastern Washington University
M.A. Lesley University Masters in Science Education ,WWU
Bachelors in Music K-12 and Science K-9
Current Work Position:
Grade 10 Biology Columbia River High School, Vancouver, WA
WSTA Activities:
Region 8 Representative last 3 years
Presenter at WSTA conferences
Written and collaborated in writing several WSTA journal articles
Professional development trainings in the SW WA region as the WSTA representative and in coordination
with the ESD Regional Science coordinator
Science Café: we have started monthly meetings where current science issues related to teachers have been
discussed. Topics included have been Biology EOC, Next Generation Science Standards, and navigating the
OSPI website.
Other Professional Activities:
Washington State Science coach training (100+ hours)
Science Educational Partnership Cohort 2006
SCC Biotech Training; and many hours in classes
Statement:
It has been a great experience serving the SW WA Region 8. I would be honored to continue to serve this
region for another 3-year term. Thank you for your continued support.
Region 8 Candidate: Carol Sandison, Vancouver
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Educational Background:
BS Zoology '72 WSU
MS Biology '01 WSU
Current Work Position:
Port Townsend High School Integrated Science II & Algebra I Interventions
WSTA Activities:
Two terms as Regional Representative for Region 9
Past Conference Co-Chair
Provider of WSTA regional professional development
Other Professional Activities:
NBCT '07
Amgen Excellence in Science Education 2010
Statement:
I have worked in my last term to enhance regional professional development. I have been part of a team of
regional representatives who have worked cooperatively with local ESD's and OSPI to bring quality, relevant
professional development to local regions. I believe this is an important service of WSTA and hope to continue
to build partnerships with ESD science coaches to continue to develop and present professional development
for science teachers at all levels in all regions.
Region 9 Candidate: Lois Sherwood, Port Townsend
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Educational Background:
B.S. Biology (Cell and Molecular), University of Washington, 1999
M.I.T. Secondary Education, Seattle University, 2002
Endorsements in science, biology, and chemistry
Current Work Position:
Biology Teacher, Shorecrest High School
WSTA Activities:
Current Region 10 Representative
Presenter for Regional workshops
NSTA 2011 Western Regional Conference Volunteer
WSTA 2011 and 2012 Conference Volunteer
Other Professional Activities:
Science Assessment Leadership Team (various state-level committees including Item Writing, Content Review,
and Range Finding for grades 5, 8, and high school)
Science Education Advisory Board, Pacific Science Center
Professional Educator Standards Board Middle Level Science WEST-E work group
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Science Education Partnership
Statement:
As your Regional Representative, I have been pleased to provide workshops on the Biology End of Course
exam and Earth-Moon-Sun misconceptions and make connections with educators from all over the state. I
would be honored to continue serve as the WSTA Region 10 Representative and advocate for effective teaching
and learning in science.
Region 10 Candidate: Lisa Chen, Shoreline
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Educational Background:
National Board Certified Teacher, Early Adolescent Science, 2005
Master of Education in Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 1992
Secondary Teaching Certificate, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 1988
Bachelor of Science in Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 1987
Current Work Position:
K-12 Science Curriculum Coordinator, Edmonds School District #15, 2008 - present
WSTA Activities:
WSTA Conference Presenter 2013
Active Member
Other Professional Activities:
National Science Teacher Association - Regional Conference Trip Committee 2011
Science Assessment Leadership Team (SALT)
Washington Alliance for Better Schools STEM Initiative Team & 2013 STEM Fellow
Washington Educational Research Association Presenter 2012
Edmonds School District STEM Exposition Planning Team
Expanding Your Horizons Conference Planning Committee
Laser Alliance Science TOSA Network
ASCD Member
Statement:
WSTA has steadily advanced their leadership presence in science education and I will continue in this work as
your Region 10 Representative. I am a NBCT with 20 years’ experience teaching middle and high school
science. As K-12 Science Coordinator in Edmonds, I support our science teachers and engage with education
leaders across the state to improve science instruction for all students. With Next Generation Science Standards,
Common Core State Standards and the new teacher evaluation system, I see the need for a strong and active
WSTA to lead the way and support teachers charged with implementing these changes.
Region 10 Candidate: Dana Marsden, Lynnwood
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OSPI Science Curriculum Update: NGSS in WA?
Ellen Ebert, Director of Science Curriculum, OSPI
Washington has been a Lead State Partner with Achieve in the development and review of the Next Generation
Science Standards (NGSS). It is exciting to note that during the last public review of the draft standards, more
than 4,900 individuals and groups from Washington accessed Achieve’s website. Now that the standards are
almost completed, there are many questions about the adoption process.
OSPI will initiate several pre-adoption activities which include:
1. Awarding a contract to compare the NGSS with our current Washington 2009 Science Learning
Standards
2. Completing a bias and sensitivity review
3. Updating critical stakeholders about the standards.
When these activities are completed, the Superintendent will give formal consideration to the adoption of the
Next Generation Science Standards. While these pre-adoption activities are occurring, OSPI will begin
developing transition plans for districts for the implementation of the NGSS. These plans will begin to phase in
over three years, once the standards are formally adopted.
Questions about the future of the Biology End of Course Assessment abound. Any changes to the test, such as
expanding it to include other science disciplines, would have to be addressed by the Legislature.
Nationally, there are questions about the formation of a consortium of states to develop a national science exam;
however, these are preliminary conversations. In the meantime, becoming familiar with The Framework for
K12 Science Education would help begin the transition to the NGSS as well as becoming active with your local
WSTA regional activities.
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Washington MESA Day 2013
Phyllis Harvey-Buschel, Ed. D.
Washington MESA Curriculum Director
WSTA Equal Opportunity in Science Representative
Washington MESA Day 2013 brings a brand new and exciting challenge for MESA middle and high school
students. Teams of high and middle school students from six statewide centers will participate in a Prosthetic
Arm building Challenge. This is a Design Engineering Challenge that brings together diverse middle and high
school youth from across the state of Washington who are the engineers and scientists of tomorrow. For the past
four years the challenge has been held at the Microsoft Corporate Campus in Redmond Washington.
Washington MESA provides enriching opportunities in mathematics, engineering, science, and technology
(STEM) for underrepresented minority students in grades K-16. We accomplish this by offering exemplary
materials, innovative curriculum, university preparedness, leadership development, and teacher professional
development. MESA serves over 4,000 students, 96 teachers, and 75 schools through six MESA Centers
statewide.
97% of MESA high school seniors go on to college
58% of MESA high school seniors complete four full years of math and science courses,
compared to 33% of all Washington students
For more information about Washington MESA Day, and how you can sign up to be a volunteer please contact:
Phyllis Harvey-Buschel, [email protected] , 206.897.1714
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Learning Progressions, a TOSOS Article
Bruce Palmquist, Professor of Physics and Science Education, Central Washington University
Science is a set of knowledge and skills that is both
deep and wide. The National Science Education
Standards (NRC, 1996) for Grades 5-8, for
example, have standards as broad as “Earth in the
Solar System” while state and local standards are
much more focused. Some students are ready to
tackle these standards on the first day of class and
have teachers with the pedagogical content
knowledge, assessment tools, and organizational
skills to help them meet these standards. But more
often than not, our classrooms are filled with
students eager to learn but unsure of the steps
needed master the broader concepts. One aspect of
“Earth in the Solar System” is the cause of the
seasons. According to the NSES, “Seasons result
from variations in the amount of the sun’s energy
hitting the surface.” (NRC, 1996, p. 161). In order
to understand the cause of the seasons, students
need to know how to determine the angle of
sunlight, recognize how that angle changes
throughout the year, explain how the change is
caused by the earth’s axial tilt, and understand that
the earth’s axis points at a nearly fixed point in
space. To effectively guide students from their
initial state to eventual mastery, teachers need to
map out the intermediate knowledge, determine if
students have acquired that knowledge and give
them appropriate feedback on their current
knowledge state. In other words, teachers have to
develop learning progressions for their students.
Learning progressions are descriptions of the
successively more sophisticated ways of thinking
about a topic that can follow one another as
children learn about and investigate a topic over a
broad span of time (Duschl, et. al., 2007 p. 214).
There are two main types of learning progressions
(Furtak, 2009). The first type is a progression of
big ideas in science or in a science content area
used to plan curriculum across grade levels. These
progressions are fairly blunt tools that guide teacher
decision-making over longer time periods, such as
months or years. The second type maps student
ideas of a concept from naive conception to
mastery. Because mastery of even a fairly specific
concept such as plate tectonics does not come
instantaneously, teachers need to recognize and
give students feedback about their intermediate
levels of understanding to help them progress
toward mastery in a smaller steps. We are more
concerned with the second type of learning
progression here. These are the tools that a teacher
can use to organize their lessons over the short
term, break down a key concept into intermediate
levels of understanding, and outline specific
feedback strategies for informing students of their
progress toward mastery of the key.
A well-constructed learning progression is based
on four main principles.
It should incorporate current scholarly and a
teacher’s own classroom-based research
It should cover a core concept in science
It should articulate movement toward increased
understanding
It should provide specific student formative
assessment (Hess, 2010).
That’s a tall order for a busy teacher. But that was
exactly the order for a group of 100 secondary
science and mathematics teachers from small
districts in North Central Washington who
participated in a three-year (2009-2012) Math
Science Partnership funded by the Department of
Education.
One of the six goals of the project was to advance
research in the area of science education through
the development of science learning progressions
that support increased understanding of science
content, especially in low proficiency students and
English Language Learners. To support student
learning, teachers need to determine where a
student is at on their journey toward the learning
target and to provide appropriate feedback. The
formative assessment process provides a way for
teachers to give standards-based feedback that
progresses the student forward in their
understanding. The development of learning
progressions is a pivotal step in the formative
assessment process (Heritage, 2007). For teachers,
a learning progression indicates when, in the
learning process, to administer a formative
assessment. For students, learning progressions
provide short-term successes that lead up to the
learning target. This is particularly important for
low-proficiency students and English Language
Learners. Short-term success criteria in learning
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progressions are the motivating force to guide
students in their learning journey toward the target.
Most of the teachers involved in the partnership
teach multiple subjects and were unfamiliar with
the concept of learning progressions. They
requested an easy-to-follow template for developing
a learning progression for a topic. The authors of
this article developed the following template which
incorporates the four key steps in developing a
learning progression for a single concept. These are:
1. Accounting of student ideas of a single
construct
2. Assessment prompts to elicit student thinking
3. Age-appropriate examples of student responses
4. Feedback strategies to more students to a more
appropriate understanding (Furtak 2009).
In order to illustrate how teachers can use the table,
we have filled it out using the cause of the seasons
as an example.
Template instructions
1. In your teaching group, decide on a key concept that the students have trouble with in your classroom.
“Key” means that if students have misconceptions about this concept, they will have trouble understanding
other concepts. Write your chosen key concept here: Cause of the seasons.
2. Briefly describe the concept at three levels of understanding. Put these in column two below. An
understanding that is approaching standard is partially correct but typically incomplete. A substandard
understanding is one that reveals significant misconceptions.
3. Write at least three open ended or multiple choice questions in column three you can use to elicit student
ideas about the concept. It is possible that the same question can draw out student ideas across different
rows (levels of understanding). These are your assessment prompts.
4. Develop sample student responses for each of your prompts at the three levels of understanding articulated
in column two. If you have used the prompts in column three in your classroom the past, simply write the
most typical student responses in the appropriate row in column four. These should be written in “student
friendly language”, how a student would answer the prompt.
5. Determine how you will provide specific feedback to specific students in order to move them from their
current level of understanding (bottom or second to the bottom row on the table) to the next higher level of
understanding (a higher row). If a student is at grade-level understanding, describe the feedback can you
provide to inform them of this and to move them toward advanced understanding.
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Table 1: Short learning progression template to facilitate classroom planning
Level of
Understanding
Description of
concept at that level
of understanding
Sample assessment
prompts
Sample student
responses (in student
friendly language)
Feedback strategies
and approaches
Grade level
standard
appropriate
The seasons are
caused by the
changing angle
between sunlight and
the ground. The
closer the angle to
90°, the warmer the
spot on Earth.
Give a student a
flashlight. Ask them
how to vary the
intensity of the light
on the table other
than changing the
distance between the
flashlight and the
table.
It is summer when the
Sun’s rays are closest
to being straight on or
straight overhead.
This is like shining a
flashlight straight
down on a paper
compared to shining
it at an angle.
Ask students to
compare the variation
in the angle of the
sunlight to the
variation in the
seasonal
temperatures. You
could write a multiple
choice question that
covers the scenarios
in this column as an
initial prompt or to
provide feedback of
understanding.
Approaching
standard
The angle between
the sunlight and
ground varies
throughout the year.
This is influenced by
the tilt of the Earth.
The winter
hemisphere is tilted
away from the Sun
making it farther
from the Sun.
What are some ways
to vary the
temperature of an
object aside from
varying the distance
to the heat source?
What season is it in
South America when
it is winter in North
America?
The angle of sunlight
changes because of
the tilt of the earth.
When the Earth is
tilted away from the
Sun, Earth is a little
farther away from the
Sun, making it colder.
Ask students to
compare the distance
the Earth is tilted
away from the Sun in
winter compared to
summer (a few
hundred kilometers)
to the total Earth-Sun
distance (150 million
kilometers). Relate
this small change to
the big difference
between winter and
summer temperatures.
Substandard The changing
distance between the
Earth and Sun causes
the seasons. The
greatest distance
leads to winter on
Earth.
What season is it in
South America when
it is winter in North
America? What are
some ways to vary
the temperature of an
object aside from
varying the distance
to the heat source?
When things are
farther from the heat
they get colder, so the
earth must be farther
from the sun when it
is colder.
Ask students how the
Earth can be farther
away in one
hemisphere’s summer
and another
hemisphere’s winter.
Notice how the table helps teachers progressively move students toward a better understanding of the concept of
the cause of the seasons. That the seasons are caused by the changing distance between the earth and sun is a
common misconception. The table above provides sample assessment prompts, an expected student response,
and teacher feedback. Some students recognize that the changing distance is not the cause but have a limited
understanding of the actual cause. The middle row helps teachers probe for this view and provide feedback to
students who hold this view to move them toward the grade-level-appropriate standard. Nothing on this table is
21
revolutionary. An effective teacher should recognize the appropriateness of every cell in the table. The benefit
to teachers comes when they work in content area teams to develop sample learning progressions for key
concepts such as the one described above.
Teachers recognize that learning is enhanced when they provide appropriate and timely feedback that can nudge
students to a higher level of understanding without overwhelming them. A well-constructed learning progression
can facilitate this process, provided teachers have the time and training to create one. This template provides an
easy-to-follow method for the time strapped teacher.
References
Duschl, R., Schweingruber, H., and Shouse, A. (Eds.) 2007. Taking science to school: Learning and teaching
science in grades K-8. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Furtak, E. 2009. Towards learning progressions as teacher development tools. Paper presented at the Learning
Progressions in Science Conference, Iowa City, IA. Retrieved from
http://www.education.msu.edu/projects/leaps/proceedings/Furtak.pdf.
Heritage, M. 2007. Formative Assessment: What do teachers need to know and do? Phi Delta Kappan 89 (2):
140-145.
Hess, K. 2010. Using learning progressions to monitor progress across the grades. Science and Children 47 (6):
57-61.
National Research Council (NRC) 1996. National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National
Academies Press.
Editor's Note: The January 2013 Draft Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have performance
expectations that combine the disciplinary core ideas (aka content) with the practice and crosscutting concept of
developing and using models.
MS-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe
MS-ESS1-b.
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
Use models of the Earth-sun system to support the explanation that the seasons are a result of Earth’s tilt and are
caused by the differential intensity and duration of sunlight on different regions of Earth over a year.
Notice how this soon to be released NGSS performance expectation confirms this work on learning progressions
will be valuable as the state moves to adopt the published NGSS.
22
Next Generation Science Teaching Exemplar NGSX
Pathway for Teacher Study Group:
Reasoning, Modeling, and Communication about Matter
Lois Sherwood, WSTA Region 9 Representative
Jeff Ryan, Science Educator Director, Olympic ESD 114
Compiled by Roy Beven, WSTA Communication Liaison
Eleven science educators of Olympic ESD 114 have been
selected to participate in the Next Generation Science
Exemplar Project this spring.
Jeff Ryan, Science Educator Director, Olympic ESD 114
Karen Lippy, Science Specialist, Olympic ESD 114
Lois Sherwood, Pt. Townsend High School Teacher
Roger Mills, Pt. Townsend High School Teacher
Susan Dekreon, Port Angeles School District
Sandra Biasell, Port Angeles School District
Linda Consoliver, QV School District
Greg Braun, NK School District Lori
McClanahan, NK School District
Carla Morton, S School District
Maren Johnson, C School District
Laura Martin, CF School District
Doug Dowell, Science Curr. Specialist, CK School District
The Next Generation Science Exemplar is an innovative, web-based platform designed to help teachers better
understand and incorporate the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in conjunction with the National
Research Council’s Framework for K-12 Science Education. The project recently received a grant of $200,000
from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The Next Generation Science Exemplar System for Professional Development or NGSX is a new kind of PD
environment. It is a web-based system designed to engage learners in the three major dimensions of the NRC’s
Framework for K-12 Science Education – core ideas of science, scientific and engineering practices and
crosscutting concepts. At the same time, NGSX participants are engaged with student performance expectations
found in the Next Generation Science Standards.
What can participants expect in this NGSX learning pathway?
This learning pathway contains nine, three-hour units. They are intended to be flexible, allowing you and your
colleagues to move through units at your own pace. Each unit is based on a particular set of learning goals
involving the three dimensions of the NRC Framework and student performance expectations found in the
NGSS. In this initial unit the focus is on physical science, the structures and properties of matter. Your own
learning will be guided by the question, “How do particles combine to form the variety of matter one observes?”
(NGSS, PS1.A, Structures and Properties of Matter).
Intentionally integrated into learning about matter are two of the scientific and engineering practices – modeling
and argumentation from evidence.
For more information, go to this news release: http://www.golocalworcester.com/news/new-clark-profs-next-
gen-science-exemplar-scores-200k-nsf-grant/
23
Report of the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education
Vicki Horton, WSTA Region 7 Representative
The 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education is
a report that identifies science and mathematics instructional
practices nationwide. The first survey of this type was funded by
the National Science Foundation and conducted in 1977 as part of a
major assessment of science and mathematics education. It
consisted of a comprehensive review of the literature: case studies
and a national survey of teachers, principals, and district and state
personnel. A second survey of teachers and principals was
conducted in 1985–86 to identify trends since 1977, a third survey
was conducted in 1993, and a fourth in 2000.
This National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education is
designed to provide up- to-date information and to identify trends in
the areas of teacher background and experience, curriculum and
instruction, and the availability and use of instructional resources.
The report covers basic demographic data presented along with
information about course background, perceptions of preparedness,
and pedagogical beliefs. Data is examined on the professional status
of teachers, including their opportunities for continued professional
development. Time spent on science and mathematics instruction in
the elementary grades and on science course offerings at the secondary level is presented. Instructional
objectives of science and mathematics classes are examined, as are the activities used to achieve these
objectives, followed by a discussion of the availability and use of various types of instructional resources.
Factors that are likely to affect science and mathematics instruction, including school-wide programs, practices,
and problems are also discussed.
A specific example included in the report is the identification of professional development changes over the
years. In addition to content specific workshops, science teachers attend workshops with the goal of:
Helping teachers plan instruction to enable students at different levels of achievement enhance their
understanding of the targeted ideas
Helping teachers learn to monitor different levels of achievement to enhance their students’
understanding, and to monitor student understanding during instruction
Assess student understanding at the end of instruction on a topic
In-service workshops have been the most prevalent form of professional development offered. In many schools,
these workshops focus on state science standards, science content, and/or using instructional materials. A trend
of increased teacher study groups emerged, supporting the concern about teachers needing assistance in
applying what they are learning to their own instruction. These teacher study groups tend to involve teachers in
analyzing student assessment results, analyzing instructional materials, and/or jointly planning lessons. The
report identifies teacher mentors, as well as one-on-one coaching, as an effective support for teachers learning
new science content or instructional methods.
Another specific example found in the report is that the amount of money schools report spending on
instructional resources seems quite inadequate when viewed as a per-pupil expenditure, especially in the western
states. In science, the problem is especially pronounced in elementary grades, where median per-pupil spending
is half of that spent in middle schools.
Download your own copy at :
http://www.horizon-research.com/2012nssme/research-products/reports/technical-report/
24
October 24-26, 2013
Bridges to the Future
Make plans now to attend NSTA's first area conference in 2013. We'll be in Portland in October!
The conference will begin with concurrent sessions on Thursday, October 24, at 8:00 AM and end on Saturday,
October 26, at 12 Noon.
Please check back in May for housing and registration information.
Conference Strands:
Bridging Elementary and Secondary Science with the Common Core
Bridging to the Highly Anticipated Next Generation Science Standards, What's in It for Me?
Building Bridges Within STEM Education
http://www.nsta.org/conferences/2013por/
WSTA 2014 Conference: Spokane Oct 17-19, 2014 at the Spokane Convention Center
Put these dates on your calendar, this will be a must-attend conference.
Organizing Committee:
John P McNamara, WSU, Conference Chair
John Winder, an affiliate of WA STEM
Sylvia Oliver, WSU Spokane
Kathy Baldwin, WSU
Wendy Whitmer, ESD 101
Mike Allen, Freeman High School
Nancy Ridenour, Omak SD
The Mobius Science Center representative
Ginger McIlvanie, Yakima SD, 2012 Conference Chair
The 2014 WSTA Conference will be large and inclusive. The roll-out of the Next Generation Science
Standards (NGSS) will be the focus along with the inclusion of Career and Technical Education (CTW),
Environmental Educations, and Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) along with WSU and
other universities of Washington State. The Mobius Science center and others Spokane organization will
provide workshops on all aspects of the development in the sciences, from basic to applied.
25
Global Health Awareness through Data Correlation:
Gapminder as a 21st century teaching tool
Marissa Vignali, PhD BioQuest, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle
Theresa Britschgi, MS, BioQuest, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle
Tami Caraballo, Glacier Peak High School, Snohomish
BioQuest, the outreach program of Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, has the goal of creating awareness of
global health issues and scientific research among Washington State teachers and students. To fulfill this
objective, our curriculum and student activities often involve the use of large datasets of global health facts and
their correlations. We have found that these numerical indicators are usually better received and comprehended
by students when we use Gapminder. This open-access software allows the dynamic and interactive
visualization of demographic data via animated graphics, and is extremely useful in involving students and their
teachers in discussions of infectious disease, global health, economic trends and social justice topics.
Herein, we hope to raise awareness among educators of this powerful resource that is particularly engaging for
young adult audiences in our digital era. We describe the main features of the program and we share examples
of the successful use of this tool at all levels of our programmatic offerings. We also refer to other programs
and resources that use Gapminder for teachers to explore different ways in which the software can be used in
their classrooms. We believe that due to the intrinsic crosscutting, hypothesis-generating nature of Gapminder, it
will be very useful tool in helping secondary teachers implement Next Generation Science Standards in their
classrooms, such as the crosscutting concepts of cause and effect, systems and system models, stability and
change, and providing a context for societal concerns that require scientific knowledge.
Gapminderi was founded in 2005 by Dr. Hans Rosling, together with his son and daughter-in-law. Rosling,
Professor of International Health at Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute and one of Time magazine’s 100 Most
Influential People in the World for 2012ii, is a public health expert with 20 years of experience analyzing
economic and health disparities in Africa. Prompted by the realization that Swedish undergraduate students
enrolled in his then budding Global Health course had many preconceived and inaccurate notions regarding
biological, social and economic global trendsiii, Ola Rosling and colleagues developed the ‘Trendalyzer’
software (the basis of the current version named Gapminder World, see below), which Rosling describes1 as a
means to ‘unveil the beauty of statistical time series by converting boring numbers into enjoyable, animated and
interactive graphics’. Motivated by the goal of ‘creating a fact-based world view that all can understand’,
Rosling has passionately argued that not communicating data effectively can lead to fundamental
misconceptions in the way we interpret the world around us, including our understanding of population
dynamics (e.g. the number of children women currently have in rich and poor countries) and economic trends
(such as the very concept of ‘developed’ versus ‘developing’ countries).
Gapminder World can be used to explore a wide range of health, social, economic, and political topics that
relate to global demographic variables or ‘indicators’ such as childhood survival, GDP, water availability,
literacy, poverty, CO2 emissions, unemployment rates, BMI, democracy index, debt, cancer, economic aid,
military expenditure, incidence of malaria and AIDS, and access to the Internet and cell phones, for example).
The underlying data, which is regularly updated, has been collected from publications, and from a variety of
publicly funded sources and private institutions, including the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the
United Nations, the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, the International Agency for Research on
Cancer, the International Labour Organization, the International Energy Agency, and the School of Public
Health of the Imperial College of London. The software is currently owned by Google but provided free of
charge (together with the underlying data) by the not-for-profit Gapminder Foundation, and can be used either
26
as an online application or downloaded to a computer. Importantly, Gapminder World does not merely
regurgitate spreadsheets and databases collected from its many sources, but instead it reveals trends and
relationships among these variables by using an interactive graphic display that can be easily manipulated by the
user and tailored to the topic of interest.
Figure 1: Screenshot of Gapminder World comparing life expectancy to income per person. The graph
compares life expectancy (in years) in the y-axis versus the income per person (GDP/capita, PPP$ inflation-
adjusted) in the x-axis for all countries in 2011. (Source: http://www.gapminder.org)
As depicted in Figure 1, the software interface includes a two-dimensional graph, in which the x- and the y- axes
can be set to any of the more than 350 available indicators. This example shows the default settings, which
compare the latest statistics regarding life expectancy and income per person around the world. The bubbles
represent individual countries: the color indicates the geographical region they belong to (as indicated in the
world map in the upper right corner), and the size is proportional to the number of inhabitants. Users can select
whether all countries are shown simultaneously, or alternatively can highlight one or a subset of countries by
clicking boxes on the bottom right area of the display. But maybe the most interesting component of the
software is that it incorporates a third dimension, that of time. This feature is controlled by the sliding rheostat
and the ‘Play’ button under the graph, which act like a time-machine, allowing the user to go back and forth in
history. For variables such as life expectancy, data is available from the 1800’s for most countries, while for
more ‘modern’ indicators, such as cell phone usage, the time series starts in more recent decades. When
demographic data is not available for a particular country and year combination, the corresponding datapoint
will be absent in the graphs. Although the impact of the resulting animation is almost impossible to accurately
convey in print, Figure 2 compares child mortality vs. GDP ‘snapshot’ data for 1950, 1975 and 2000 and for a
randomly-selected subset of countries, while the last quadrant shows the trajectory of these trends over the
period of time from 1950 to 2000, reflecting what the software reveals when both ‘Play’ and the ‘trails on’
option are selected. The power of Gapminder to illustrate demographic trends becomes evident in this figure: it
is clear both that fertility rates are decreasing in all four selected countries, and that the rates of decrease are
different.
27
In the context of BioQuestiv, we use Gapminder World as a tool to foster discussion on topics of Global Health,
infectious disease, social justice and economics that relate to the research ongoing at Seattle BioMedv. Although
we have utilized Gapminder in events involving older audiences, such as university students, donors, and the
general public, our main audience includes students from grade 9 onwards and their teachers visiting our
institute for the day (Site Explorations); high-school students participating in our intensive and immersive
biomedical research summer program (BioQuest Academy)vi; and high-school students using the integrated
Washington Global Health Alliance (WGHA)vii
Global Health curriculum in their classrooms (see below). We
find that this innovative resource which is particularly engaging for young adult audiences who are undoubtedly
more adept to dynamic online graphic representations than to lists of numeric indicators, percentages and
datasheets, particularly in our digital eraviii,ix.
In the first two scenarios, after a standard introductory slide comparing the average life expectancy between the
United States and Malawi, and the causes of death in children under the age of five in those countries (Figure 3),
we switch to Gapminder. Starting with the default graph comparing life expectancy to GPD/capita (as
exemplified in Figure 1), we run the global time series from the mid-20th century to the present. Some of the
most recognizable events during these periods in term of population trends correspond to the 1918 influenza
epidemic (which is usually initially attributed by students to the death toll from the First World War), and the
advent of the AIDS crisis in Africa in the mid-1980s. Both of these events resonate strongly with high-school
students and teachers and align well with the Global Health research focus of Seattle BioMed. The vast
majority of the students and teachers who have not previously used this resource react positively. They
promptly become engaged in discussion, offering observations and generating hypotheses regarding the
underlying causes of the events. Those that have used the software in the past usually share their previous
experiences and suggest new options and alternative settings.
Figure 2: Series of screenshot of Gapminder World comparing child mortality to income for a subset of
countries over a 50-year period. The graphs compare child mortality (0-5 year-olds dying per 1,000 born) in
the y-axis versus the income per person (GDP/capita, PPP$ inflation-adjusted) in the x-axis for four randomly-
selected countries from different geographic regions (China, Chad, Chile and the Czech Republic) in 1950, 1975
and 2000. The last panel shows the trajectory of the data over this 50-year interval. (Source:
http://www.gapminder.org)
28
Next, we ask students to select a subset of countries of interest in order to show their trajectory over time. We
generally limit this demonstration to three or four countries, to allow a clear view of the trends over time, as in
the last panel of Figure 2. Since our program serves students from a wide range of ethnic, racial and cultural
backgrounds, it is not uncommon that students from families of foreign origin volunteer the names of their
ancestral countries, making the experience even more interactive and culturally relevant to them. Other students
are globally savvy, and suggest countries with obvious public health issues, or countries in the contemporary
news. A classical example that never fails to cause amazement among students is the comparison of the life
expectancy in Mexico in the 1900s (around 25 years) to the present value of 77 years, which we follow up with
a short discussion on the societal implications of the co-existence of three generations for the first time in the
history of that country. Other facts that particularly resonate with 21st century young adults are the number of
cell phones per 100 people, or the access to the Internet (both found under the “Communications” tab); we guide
the ensuing discussion towards the concept of ‘wealth follows health’.
The resulting time series are oddly addictive, and many students comment that they cannot wait to get back
home to ‘play’ with Gapminder on their own (which is facilitated by the fact that the software is freely available
online). After participating in the interactive demonstration described above, many teachers have expressed
their intention to add this hypothesis-generating and predictive tool to their classroom repertoire, while others
have advised students to use Gapminder for individual assignments such as ‘senior’ or culminating projects.
Importantly, educators from Washington’s state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction have expressed
interest in featuring leveraging Gapminder as part of future state assessment tools (e.g., the state mathematics
High School Proficiency Exam, HSPE).
As mentioned above, we also use Gapminder throughout the interdisciplinary Global Health curriculum for 11th
grade high-school students developed by BioQuest staff in collaboration with teachers and scientists as part of
the WGHA Ambassadors Programx. One chapter in particular, “Minding the Gaps in Reaching the Millennium
Goals”, addresses the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UNMDG) in a student-friendly format
that aligns with Social Studies, History Mathematics and Language Arts standards. In this lesson, students use
Gapminder to examine a variety of authentic global statistics related to the UNMDGs. Over the course of
several days, students are introduced to the UNMDGs, learn how to use Gapminder, conduct research
individually and in groups, and prepare and present the results of their investigation to their peers
Figure 3: ‘Traditional’ Powerpoint slide comparing average life expectancy and causes of child death in
children under the age of 5 in the U.S. vs. Malawi.
29
The examples described above can be easily adapted to a variety of classroom scenarios, based on the subject
being taught and the topic of interest. Institutions such as Carnegie Mellon Universityxi and Seattle Central
Community Collegexii have also adapted Gapminder to their particular teaching needs. Other examples of
educational uses are available from the Gapminder website for teachersxiii (which also contains a pdf guide to
the software).
Evaluation possibilities include immediate, informal assessment of student understanding and reasoning through
oral questions during or after the discussion (such as assessing the student’s ability to interpret trends, cause and
effect relationships, and to produce evidence-based arguments), questionnaires designed to probe student
understanding of the basic concepts covered such as the Global Development Quizxiv, exit tickets or other open-
ended written assignments that give students the opportunity to reflect on and write about how their thinking of
the topic discussed has changed as a result of the activity (e.g. ‘what did you learn about the correlation between
life expectancy and the GPD of a country’, or ‘explain how Gapminder can be used to reveal the onset of the
AIDS crisis in Africa in the 1980s’).
With a fresh emphasis on practices and crosscutting themes, the developing Next Generation Science Standards
(NGSS) frameworkxv offers a major conceptual shift from prior science standards. Practices such as arguing
from evidence and the ability to analyze, ask questions, and develop a deeper understanding of a subject are
integral parts of the framework. Based upon our experience with diverse learning audiences, Gapminder data
sets and visualization tools are valuable, open-access resources for curriculum developers and educators
adopting the NGSS framework as they prepare today’s students to address a myriad of multifaceted and
complex global challenges.
30
Sample Lesson Plan:
Using Gapminder to Engage Students in Discussions of Health and Wealth Statistical Data
Teacher preparation
Materials:
1. Classroom computer with Internet access and projector.
2. Computer lab with Internet access.
Preparation:
1. Explore Gapminder beforehand to be familiar with the options and operations required to conduct the
demonstration.
2. Load the Gapminder website into the student computers.
Procedure
1. Briefly explain to students the background behind the Gapminder software
(http://www.gapminder.org/world/), using the information contained in the main article.
2. Using a classroom computer with a projector, give students an introductory tour of the Gapminder website:
a. Explain the default variables in the X and Y axis
b. Ask students to guess what the color of the bubbles indicate (point to the map on the right colored by
region if needed).
c. Ask students to guess what the size of the bubble might indicate.
3. Show students how data moves through time by using the default settings and pressing PLAY.
4. Ask students to reflect on the general trends, such as:
a. Overall, are life expectancy and income increasing or decreasing around the world?
b. Is the rate the same for all countries?
c. Ask students to hypothesize why African countries lag behind.
31
5. Explain to students you will select a few countries to allow a more detailed analysis of the trends:
a. Make sure TRAILS is selected in the bottom.
b. Click the boxes corresponding to SOUTH AFRICA and MEXICO on the panel on the right.
c. Ask students to select 3 more countries of interest (if possible, pick countries in different
continents/income levels from their answers) and click those boxes.
d. Move the “rheostat” at the bottom of the graph back to the 1900s, and hit PLAY.
e. Students will probably notice the drop in life expectancy in 1918, as well as the reversal in life
expectancy and income in South Africa in the 1980s – point them out if needed.
f. Ask students to hypothesize on the source of these features (students often attribute the 1918 drop to
World War I when it actually reflects the influenza pandemic; but they usually guess correctly that the
loop in South Africa’s income and life expectancy are due to the HIV epidemic).
g. Prompt students to discuss the societal implications of the tripling of life expectancy in Mexico since the
1900s.
6. Show students how to change the variables in the X- and Y-axes.
7. Ask students to find the answers to the following questions:
Basic:
a. How many people died of tuberculosis in Haiti in 2004?
b. How many people had cell phones in China in 2010?
c. How has the average income changed in Brazil between 1960 and 2010?
Advanced:
d. Compare the number of deaths from tuberculosis vs. the number of new cases of infectious TB in Haiti
and the U.S. in 2004. Discuss the possible causes of your observation.
e. Based on cell phone usage, what language should we be learning if we want to get a job with T-Mobile
after high-school?
f. How did the number of children per women and the GPD/capita change in Brazil between 1960 and
2010? How do you think these changes could be correlated?
Alternative:
Use the Gapminder Global Development Quiz available from http://www.gapminder.org/downloads/global-
development-quiz.
A full lesson plan on how to use Gapminder to explore the United Nations Millenium Development goals,
including assessment and extension activities was developed by Michael Dahl of Blaine High School, and is
available from http://www.sbri.org/assets/wghaa/global-health-curriculum.pdf, p107-116.
32
Acknowledgments:
BioQuest Academy has been generously supported by Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) Grant
Number R25RR024260 from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). The Washington Global Health Alliance Ambassadors Program was supported by
Grant Number 51546 from the United States and Global Health Programs of the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation. BioQuest receives additional support from private foundations and individual donors.
Author contact information:
MV: E: [email protected], P: (206) 256 7483, A: BioQuest, Seattle Biomedical Research
Institute, 307 Westlake Ave. N, Suite 500, Seattle WA 98037, US.
TB: E: [email protected], P: (206) 256 7473, A: BioQuest, Seattle Biomedical Research
Institute, 307 Westlake Ave. N, Suite 500, Seattle WA 98037, US.
References 1 Gapminder World. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from http://www.gapminder.org/ 1 The 2012 Time 100: The 100 Most Influential People in the World. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2111975_2111976_2112170,00.html#ixzz1tZLco
Mfw 1 Hans Rosling 2006 TED lecture. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.gapminder.org/videos/hans-rosling-ted-2006-debunking-myths-about-the-third-world/ 1 BioQuest. Retrieved February 22nd, 2013, from http://www.seattlebioquest.org/ 1 Seattle Biomedical Research Institute. Retrieved February 22nd, 2013, from http://www.seattlebiomed.org/ 1 BioQuest Academy. February 22nd, 2013 from http://www.bioquestacademy.org/ 1 Washington Global Health Alliance. Retrieved February 22nd, 2013 from http://www.wghalliance.org/ 1 Framework for 21st Century Learning – Partnership for 21st century skills. (2011). Retrieved February 14th,
2013, from http://www.p21.org/tools-and-resources/publications 1 Bellanca, J. A., & Brandt, R. (2010). 21st Century Skills or Rethinking How Students Learn: Solution Tree
Press. 1 WGHAA Teacher Resources. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.wghaa.org/teacherresources/index.php 1 Information Visualization Tools, Carnegie Mellon University. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/technology/tools/informationvisualization/index.html 1 HEA 225 Global Health Spring 2009 Course Site, Seattle Central Community College. Retrieved February
14th, 2013, from http://www.seattlecentral.edu/faculty/jmclean/225_main_spring_2009.html 1 Featured examples of Gapminder in education. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.gapminder.org/for-teachers/ 1 Global Development Quiz. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from http://www.gapminder.org/downloads/global-
development-quiz/ 1 The Next Generation Science Standards. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards
33
Developer Roy Bentley demonstrating the PowerWheel
How to Effectively Teach about Energy (reprinted from the OSTA's Journal TOST)
Roy Bentley, CEO of RB-MFG
Ken Crawford, Director of Marketing and Learning Resources for RB-MFG
As we started to market the PowerWheel, one of
the first things that we did was to bring together
a group of teachers that represented all teaching
levels…from elementary to post-secondary.
After giving them the chance to use the
PowerWheel, we asked them: “How can we
make the PowerWheel the most effective
teaching tool it can be?”
Their answers were an eye-opener for us. It
came down to variations on a single theme:
Before we can use the PowerWheel effectively,
we need to understand energy ourselves…then
we can teach our students. From that moment
on, we knew that we had an additional
priority…help teach the teachers, and then
effective learning about energy could take place. Check out the PowerWheel website at www.rb-mfg for
more great ideas and resources.
Here are three thoughts about teaching energy education in your classroom:
1. Realize that you don’t need to know everything about energy in order to teach about it.
There are some basic concepts that are easy to learn…and depending upon the grade level and ability of
your students, that will be enough to get a great discussion started. Our suggestions:
a. Learn some simple energy definitions: Energy, Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy, Mechanical Energy,
Electrical Energy, Radiant Energy, Chemical Energy.
b. Learn the concept of the conversion of energy. There are examples of energy conversion all around us
once you know the concept. A tool like the PowerWheel is great for this because you can demonstrate a
variety of different conversions of energy that your students can see.
c. Find the experts in your local, school and educational community. For example, we provide free in-
service to those teachers that purchase a PowerWheel. Most local public utility districts have access to
learning resources. In some instances, they may actually have an education service that they can provide
to your school or classroom at no cost. Find out who provides energy services in your community and
contact them.
2. When you do teach about energy, make the kids do the work.
Teaching about energy shouldn’t be all lecture or teacher directed. Energy education is made for discussion
and questions and exploration. Use questioning and thinking strategies that help students learn to observe,
comprehend and analyze what they are seeing. We recommend that you go back and take a look at Bloom’s
Taxonomy. Re-discover the different levels of critical thinking…and the vocabulary that you can use in
helping students move up to higher levels of thinking…give them the basics (knowledge/comprehension),
but then help guide them to the higher levels of critical thinking (synthesis and evaluation). Ask the question
“Why?” a lot.
3. Make it relevant.
If there ever was a topic that lends itself to something important in our world today, it is energy and its use.
Develop your “energy awareness”. There are energy issues around us all the time. Becoming aware of
issues of sustainability, energy renewal, hydro-electric power, how energy is delivered etc., makes it a topic
of ongoing relevance. And most important, Have Fun!
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Seattle Science Festival - June 6-16, 2013 http://www.seattlesciencefestival.org
The 2013 Seattle Science Festival, an 11-day celebration of the science and technology happening in our
community, runs June 6-16, 2013. It features luminaries from the science world in opening and closing night
events, a free Science EXPO Day featuring hands-on activities and special stage programs on Saturday, June 8
at Seattle Center, and a variety of Signature Programs at venues around the region throughout the Festival.
Science EXPO Day- June 8, 2013 at Seattle Center10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Science EXPO Day is the biggest celebration of STEM that this area has ever seen!
This science celebration held on the Seattle Center grounds will be a FREE event, featuring more than 150
family-friendly, hands-on experiments, exhibits, demonstrations, interactive activities, games and live
performances two stages with special programming, a kids' area with activities for those 7 and under, and food
vendors to fuel your exploration! Science EXPO Day will be something for the whole family to enjoy.
Signature Programs - June 7-16, 2013
Signature Programs provide our community with opportunities to attend events that our program collaborators
have developed specifically for the Seattle Science Festival. Signature Programs can include behind-the-scenes
tours, science adventures, field trip opportunities for classrooms, workshops, screenings of science-themed
films, and many, many other events, held at venues all over the Puget Sound region.
Educators: How Can You Get Involved?
The Seattle Science Festival offers an unparalleled opportunity to get your students directly interacting with and
excited about the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities and organizations in our region
and in the world around them. There are many ways for educators to get involved. Below are some ways that
you can bring the science, technology, engineering and math excitement into your classroom.
Develop classroom lessons around Seattle Science Festival events, offer credit for attendance, find a
science fair or other competition happening in your area, and encourage your students to bring
information they learn at the Seattle Science Festival back to the classroom. Your class can even apply
to do a stage presentation at Science EXPO Day on Saturday, June 8, if you have a class project you'd
like to present, or a STEM-themed act your students have developed. See the list of resources below.
Spread the word. Hang a Seattle Science Festival poster in your classroom, mark your class calendar
and send out a Seattle Science Festival notice to your students and their families.
Be a volunteer. If you're interested in attending the Festival yourself as a volunteer, please let us know.
We'll add you to our volunteer notification email list, and let you know when we have specific volunteer
jobs available.
http://www.seattlesciencefestival.org/Volunteer/volunteer
35
WSTA Board of Directors, 2012-13
Contact Information
Executive Committee
President MIDGE YERGEN [email protected]
President-Elect JOHN PARKER [email protected]
Treasurer KAREN MADSEN [email protected]
Recording Secretary AMBER FARTHING [email protected]
Executive Secretary JUDY SHAW [email protected]
Regional Representatives
Region 1 (ESD 101) MIKE ALLEN [email protected]
Region 2 (ESD 123) MARY MOORE [email protected]
Region 3 (ESD 171) ANDY BOYD [email protected]
Region 4 (ESD 105) ELAINE GOECKLER JONES [email protected]
Region 5 (ESD 189) JONATHAN FROSTAD [email protected]
Region 6 (ESD 121) DON PRUETT [email protected]
Region 7 (ESD 113) VICKI HORTON [email protected]
Region 8 (ESD 112) CAROL SANDISON [email protected]
Region 9 (ESD 114) LOIS SHERWOOD [email protected]
Region 10 (ESD 121) LISA (CHI) CHEN [email protected]
Appointed Positions
Awards JOLYNNE ROBERTS [email protected]
Business and & Industry DAVID REID [email protected]
Clock-hour Designee STEPHANIE VAN DRIEL [email protected]
Communication Liaison ROY BEVEN [email protected]
Equal Opportunities in Science PHYLLIS HARVE-BUSCHEL [email protected]
Higher Education Rep.,
20014 Conference Chair JOHN MCNAMARA [email protected]
Informal Science Ed. Liaison SONIA SIEGEL VEXLER [email protected]
Long Range Planner BOB SOTAK [email protected]
Membership Service Coor. DIANE REID [email protected]
New Teacher Rep. MARTHA KURTZ [email protected]
OSPI Science Rep. ELLEN EBERT [email protected]
Safety Chair DOUG MANDT [email protected]
TOTOS, New Teachers Rep. MARTHA KURTZ [email protected]
Webmaster JAMES (CLIF) MARR [email protected]
NEW
36
Return Address:
Diane Reid, WSTA Membership
PO Box 843, Ephrata, WA 98823
i Gapminder World. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from http://www.gapminder.org/ ii The 2012 Time 100: The 100 Most Influential People in the World. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2111975_2111976_2112170,00.html#ixzz1tZLco
Mfw iii Hans Rosling 2006 TED lecture. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.gapminder.org/videos/hans-rosling-ted-2006-debunking-myths-about-the-third-world/ iv BioQuest. Retrieved February 22nd, 2013, from http://www.seattlebioquest.org/ v Seattle Biomedical Research Institute. Retrieved February 22nd, 2013, from http://www.seattlebiomed.org/ vi BioQuest Academy. February 22nd, 2013 from http://www.bioquestacademy.org/ vii Washington Global Health Alliance. Retrieved February 22nd, 2013 from http://www.wghalliance.org/ viii Framework for 21st Century Learning – Partnership for 21st century skills. (2011). Retrieved February 14th,
2013, from http://www.p21.org/tools-and-resources/publications ix Bellanca, J. A., & Brandt, R. (2010). 21st Century Skills or Rethinking How Students Learn: Solution Tree
Press. x WGHAA Teacher Resources. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.wghaa.org/teacherresources/index.php xi Information Visualization Tools, Carnegie Mellon University. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/technology/tools/informationvisualization/index.html xii HEA 225 Global Health Spring 2009 Course Site, Seattle Central Community College. Retrieved February
14th, 2013, from http://www.seattlecentral.edu/faculty/jmclean/225_main_spring_2009.html xiii Featured examples of Gapminder in education. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.gapminder.org/for-teachers/ xiv Global Development Quiz. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.gapminder.org/downloads/global-development-quiz/ xv The Next Generation Science Standards. Retrieved February 14th, 2013, from
http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards
WSTA Journal ISSN 0164-7369
Postages paid in Bellingham, WA 98225
Periodical Publication Number: 096130