Quality Indicators for Reviewing Units of Study
Kentucky’s Mathematics and Science Partnership Projects, 2006
Ten elements have been identified for inclusion in every unit of study (regardless of format being utilized). They are described below. The bulleted indicators are provided to clarify and focus descriptive feedback during the peer review process. (Note: These elements may be included in any sequence in the unit of study.)
1. Organizer/hook frames the unit and is appropriate for the level of students.
· Provides a meaningful purpose and direction for learning (life issue, genuine problem, question, challenge)
· Relevant to students
“Strong”
Old ‘stuff’ to new ‘stuff’: How can a better understanding of matter help us make the world a better place?
“Keep it Movin’: What makes things go/move?”
“Your money or your life: how can we advance science and technology without endangering the earth/compromising ethics and morals?”
“Weak”
“Matter”
“Motion and Forces”
“What are Newton’s Laws?”
2. Specific Program of Studies and Core Content for Assessment standards are identified and include only those standards that are directly addressed to some expected degree of mastery in the unit.
· Manageable number of appropriate standards (POS Understandings, Skills/concepts, and Core Content for Assessment v 4.1)
· Clearly connected to instruction and assessment (as defined in targets/objectives)
“Strong”
Full text of the appropriate understandings, skills/concepts from the POS and a full text of the congruent* Core Content for Assessment 4.1.
*By ‘congruent’ we mean a standard or activity that directly addresses the SPECIFIC concept(s) being taught, as opposed to only being loosely related. For example: identifying the types of clouds is NOT congruent to a standard addressing the CAUSES of precipitation—although it is related.
“Weak”
Simple list of codes of Core Content for Assessment statements
3. Essential Questions focus the teaching and learning as well as being cognitively complex and engaging.
· complex and engaging—may be ‘arguable’, ‘debatable’—yet in student friendly language
· answers must be ‘invented’ or ‘constructed’—not merely recalled or ‘looked up’
· focuses the learning plan
· open ended in order to promote inquiry, higher order thinking (synthesizing, evaluating)
· promote the seeking of EVIDENCE
“Strong”
How can I distinguish ‘matter’ from ‘NOT matter’?
Where does “stuff” (matter) come from?
How do we make new ‘stuff’ to solve new problems?
How can materials with the same chemical composition be so different (e.g., graphite, diamonds)?
“Weak”
What are the states of matter?
How many elements are in the universe?
How do you describe and compare the chemical composition of diamonds and graphite?
4. Misconceptions are identified in order to inform the learning/assessment plan.
· reference source is cited
· noted misconceptions are reflected in (more than one of the following): essential questions, lesson targets/objectives, assessments
“Strong”
Example 1: Matter: Nature of matter
Elementary and middle-school students may think everything that exists is matter, including heat, light, and electricity (Stavy, 1991; Lee et al., 1993). Alternatively, they may believe that matter does not include liquids and gases or that they are weightless materials (Stavy, 1991; Mas, Perez, & Harris, 1987). With specially designed instruction, some middle-school students can learn the scientific notion of matter (Lee et al., 1993).
Middle-school and high-school students are deeply committed to a theory of continuous matter (Nussbaum, 1985b). Although some students may think that substances can be divided up into small particles, they do not recognize the particles as building blocks, but as formed of basically continuous substances under certain conditions (Pfundt, 1981).
Students at the end of elementary school and beginning of middle school may be at different points in their conceptualization of a "theory" of matter (Carey, 1991; Smith et al., 1985; Smith, Snir, & Grosslight, 1987). Although some 3rd graders may start seeing weight as a fundamental property of all matter, many students in 6th and 7th grade still appear to think of weight simply as "felt weight"—something whose weight they can't feel is considered to have no weight at all. Accordingly, some students believe that if one keeps dividing a piece of styrofoam, one would soon obtain a piece that weighed nothing (Carey, 1991).
(from Benchmarks for Science Literacy, Chapter 15, AAAS)
Learning Target: I can distinguish ‘matter’ from ‘not matter.’
Learning Target: I can use properties to describe some common gases.
Example 2: Matter Misconceptions (from AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy):
· Everything that exists is matter—including heat, light, shadows and electricity.
· Matter does not include liquids.
· Gases are not matter because most are invisible.
· Gases do not have mass.
· Mass and volume, which both describe an "amount of matter" are the same property.
· Materials can only exhibit properties of one state of matter.
Learning Target: I can use the appropriate tools to find the mass or volume of some matter.
Learning Target: I can describe the difference between volume and mass.
*NOTE: teacher experience can be a reference, as long as there's some detail to that. For example: My experience has been that students often equate "abiotic" with "dead".
“Weak”
Identifying some common misconceptions but not including specific targets designed to confront or dispel them OR having targets that actually perpetuate misconceptions due to a lack of content knowledge/understanding.
5. Critical Vocabulary is identified.
· connected to standards
· best/research-based instructional strategies are used to develop vocabulary
· 10-12 words per unit is optimum (per research)
· selected vocabulary is critical for transfer versus volume
· success on unit assessments requires the critical vocabulary
“Strong”
Consider this list of terms from a chapter on earth history from a general science text:
cast Cenozoic era fossil geologic time
geologic time scale
Mesozoic era Mold Paleozoic era petrification
Precambrian era
Robert Marzano suggests that a viable option for schools to separate the essential terms from the supplemental ones is to identify only those that are essential for all students to learn regardless of their aspirations after high school. Using this criterion, not all of these 10 words can be truly considered essential. The list could potentially be reduced to as few as two terms:
fossil geologic time.
*in a strong plan, these terms would also appear in assessments, lessons/activities and would be essential to student success.
*NOTE: science process terms can also be considered as critical content vocabulary (per Marzano's 2004 Academic Vocabulary)
“Weak”
A comprehensive list of all vocabulary terms loosely correlated to the broadest coverage of the topic.
For Example, “Earth History” unit:
cast Cenozoic era fossil geologic time
geologic time scale Mesozoic era Mold Paleozoic era petrification Precambrian era catastrophes asteroid comets fossils ordivician Jurassic mold trace superposition cross-cutting relationships radioactive dating sedimentation stratigraphy carboniferous
*in a weak plan, these words also would not show up in assessments as being critical to student success OR are not explicitly apparent in activities.
6. Assessments- both formative (assessment during learning) and summative (assessments for post learning)- are designed to assess mastery of identified standards and targets/objectives.
Formative / SummativeA variety of formats: Performance, multiple choice, open response, products, personal communication
Balanced with regard to knowledge, skills, and reasoning abilities
Works for a variety of learning styles and allows students to demonstrate learning in different ways
Congruent with standards/targets/objectives + provides evidence of achievement toward those standards/targets/objectives
Range of cognitive demand—engages students at various Depth of Knowledge Levels
(at, below and beyond ceiling in Core Content for Assessment)
Scoring guides with clearly delineated performance levels
Scoring guides use precise and understandable descriptors (vs. vague…some, few, etc.)
“Strong”
All indicators from table are present.
“Weak”
Emphasis on simple recall/DOK Level 1 items
Assesses knowledge of ‘minutiae’ vs. conceptual understanding (“Jeopardy” vs life)
Lack of variety in assessments---limited only to MC/OR items
Lack of opportunity for all learners to demonstrate attainment of learning targets (limited in variety of design, limited in student response options—verbally, graphically, kinesthetically, etc. )
Only general scoring guides available
7. Learning Targets/Objectives are identified.
· Defines specifically what we want students to know and be able to do
· Clearly congruent to the POS/CCA standards (vs. loosely correlated)
· Reflected in Assessments
“Strong”
· List properties of elements
· List properties of compounds
· Use properties to identify elements; compounds
· Identify the Periodic Table as a resource containing information about certain properties of all known elements
· Recognize names of common elements.
· distinguish between elements and compounds
· distinguish physical properties from chemical properties
· classify them according to their properties
· observe substances for distinguishing attributes
· Develop operational definitions of physical properties and of chemical properties
· Develop operational definition for infer
· Identify critical information from narratives/charts/graphs
· I can use the appropriate tools to find the mass or volume of some matter.
· I can distinguish ‘matter’ from ‘not matter.’
“Weak”
· Understand matter
· Solids, liquids, gases
· Make observations
· Infer differences
· Physical properties of matter
· I will know about matter.
· I understand that there are 92 elements.
8. Teacher Learning Plan/Student Learning Experiences are described/referenced.
· Varied and engaging in cognitive complexity and high order thinking
· Congruent to targets/objectives
· Includes equitable instructional practices and multiple cultural perspectives that address the needs of all students
· Appropriate integration of technology for discovery, data/information collection, representation, reporting, problem solving (spreadsheets, decision making software, simulations, virtual labs/resources, etc.)
· Literacy development is an intentional part of the unit and emphasizes reading/writing to learn and demonstrate learning
· Addresses multiple learning styles
· Organized and sequenced to maximize engagement and effectiveness
· Also consider: Will the students:
i. Know where they’re going, why, and what is required of them?
ii. Be engaged in the learning—doing, processing, seeking, problem-solving?
iii. Have adequate opportunities to explore the big ideas of the unit?
iv. Have sufficient opportunities to rethink, rehearse, revise, and refine their work based upon descriptive and timely feedback?
v. Have opportunities to reflect upon their learning and their work?
“Strong”
Astronomy Activity # 4 from “Hands-on Universe” Curriculum Guide, p. 43.
Science NetLinks: Sampling Rocks
Purpose: Students will learn about sampling through an investigation of rocks found in the schoolyard.
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?BenchmarkID=9&DocID=110
“Weak”
Worksheet on Rocks
Practice Problems
End of Chapter Review Questions
9. Critical Resources are identified so that others can locate them.
· annotated bibliography of critical readings, curriculum materials, places, people, videos, etc.
· materials list
· variety of resources cited
“Strong”
Resources are clearly identified and would be easily located
“Weak”
Resources descriptions are generic
Resources would be difficult for other teachers to locate
10. Teacher reflection on implementation of unit.
· Includes tips for implementing—cautions to possible problems, etc.
· Includes ‘statistics’ on how students performed
“Strong”
Be sure to contact the KY Geological Society at 555-5555 at least 3 weeks before this unit to acquire samples and schedule a speaker (if possible)
Activity 4—“Sampling Rocks” could be done with vinegar instead of diluted HCl (which is easier to obtain)
Students struggled with the 2nd Open Response on Test 3. Might consider revising part c to describing 2 examples instead of 3.
“Weak”
Kids did poorly on Test 2.
Activity 4 was fun.
References:
“How to Develop a Standards-based Unit of Study.” Kentucky Department of Education, 1998
McTighe, Jay, and Wiggins, Grant. Understanding by Design. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2004.
Learning for the 21st Century. Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2002.