In my work with teachers on assessing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) I find one of the toughest shifts for them to make is to develop tasks that are meaningful and really worth diving into. The NGSS are performance based standards that are very different from science standards many (maybe most) teachers are used to implementing.
The NGSS standards are not about explaining and showing students (the “sage on the stage” approach) and having them read about it and answer some questions. Every NGSS standard begins with the words, “Students who demonstrate understanding can:” Example from 5th grade – “Students who demonstrate understanding can: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.” To meet this standard students have to be able to do this, perform this on their own, not watch the teacher or Bill Nye do it and explain it and then answer questions. This standard will take time and multiple experiences to master.
To help educators design lessons and tasks for their students Achieve has provided this “Science Task Prescreen.”
“The purpose of the Science Task Prescreen is to conduct a quick review of assessment tasks to determine whether they might be designed for standards based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education, like the Next Generation ScienceStandards (NGSS). The Prescreen is intended to reveal whether tasks include “red flags”—i.e., challenges commonly found in science assessment tasks.”
I’ve used this with teachers and find it really helps them begin the shift from old style science instruction that was more about answering questions and less about doing and understanding. Check it out.
Learning is messy!