This learning module will ask students to come to know through various CER writing activities relating to earth science. As this learning module centers around students generating knowledge through inquiry and writing, traditional assessment techniques are not used; alternative forms of assessment (e.g., self-review and peer-review) are sources of feedback and opportunities for growth for students.
Assessment, Self-Reflection, Peer Review, Knowledge Processes
This school year, I have shifted from being a high school physics teacher to a middle school science teacher. It became apparent very early on that my students had significant misconceptions about the nature of science but also lacked the ability to think through complex tasks. My mission is to have my students engage with content more closely aligned to the way scientists function. While undoubtedly in tune with specific facts and concepts, scientists are trying to make sense of the many phenomena this world offers. However, a common theme in science education is to make science less about discovery and more about memorizing facts (Kalantzis & Cope, 2012). As a science educator, I believe this has conditioned students out of their natural curiosity and wonderment for the world they live in. Therefore, this learning module is driven by students grappling with challenging, interesting, and puzzling scientific questions. A common framework for building arguments and explanations, claim-evidence-reasoning (CER), is a primary source of coming to know in this learning module.
Another crucial aspect of this learning module is the emphasis placed on metacognition through self-reflection and peer-to-peer interaction in the form of feedback. Early in this module, students engage in self-reflection and critique of their CER writing by analyzing and critiquing work samples created by me. As the module progresses, students engage in this process by the already embedded aspect of them analyzing, critiquing, and giving feedback to their peers.
Due to this learning module's unique structure, in terms of the tasks students are taking part in, a traditional assessment structure cannot adequately measure student progress or skill development. This learning module will rely heavily on recursive feedback, self-reflection, and collaboration in assessment. Therefore, this learning module will utilize learning analytics, giving students a visual representation of their growth throughout the learning module in terms of their ability to help their peers, acquire relevant knowledge, and engage in metacognition (self-reflection). In addition to this, students' work will follow a work-focused pedagogy and engage students in the knowledge processes for knowledge-making and learning (Cope & Kalantzis, 2021). The specific knowledge processes will be made known to the teacher throughout this learning module.
This learning module is the second module of a two-module unit on earth science. Lessons one through four would take approximately two to three days, factoring in original student work, giving peer feedback, and self-reflection. The peer-reviewed project, Mammoth Quakes vs. Baby Quakes, is a three-stage project, with each stage taking one week. Finally, the collaborative assessment to end the unit would take one day. This learning module, in total, would require five to six weeks.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to...
Each lesson will begin with essential questions which reflect these student outcomes.
The Wisconsin State Standards driven by the Next Generation Science Standards for this learning module are as follows:
Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)
Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI)
Cross-Cutting Concepts (CC)
Essential Questions:
Since the late 1800s, people have attempted to theorize how our Earth (namely the continents' location) has changed through time. One idea was that land bridges once connected the continents, allowing plants and animals to spread. Some thought that the entire planet expanded and tore the continents apart, then water filled the spaces. A well-known scientist, Alfred Wegener, thought the continents were part of a single landmass surrounded by a large ocean, the landmass broke up, and the pieces drifted apart.
Scientific Question: What do you think is the best theory regarding how our Earth has changed over time?
Update: Construct a CER to answer the given scientific question. After completing and submitting your CER post, leave a comment on three of your peers' CER posts. Your comments should address the following:
Comment: Open the document below of a work sample done by Mr. Welch. Read through each component: claim, evidence, and reasoning. When you are finished, leave a comment which will address the following self-reflection prompts:
Students have had much experience with CER writing through their previous study of space science and the first module of this earth science unit at this point in the learning sequence. However, teachers could include the template below to aid students in their writing process throughout this learning module.
This CER writing activity is designed for students to begin identifying the main evidence supporting Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and the modern theory of plate tectonics. Students, in their research, should identify fossil data, the puzzle-like fit of the continents (this can be observed from the picture included in the for the student section), sea-floor spreading, and the different interactions that occur at plate boundaries. It should be stressed to students that the evidence should be collected before making a claim. The evidence should guide students to their answer to the scientific question. This work is experiential and conceptual for students in their development of knowledge. Students are coming to know new concepts (e.g., the evidence for plate tectonics) by applying those to the current landscape they know of the world they live in.
Standards addressed in this lesson are as follows:
Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)
Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI)
Cross-Cutting Concepts (CC)
Essential Questions:
To begin this lesson, let's take time to review what fossils are, thinking back to our evolution unit earlier this school year.
Fuse School - Global Education. (2018, October 3). How do fossils form?. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID7qhn1ipmw
During our study of evolution, we used comparative anatomy as a piece of evidence for evolution. We looked at the anatomy of extinct species (through fossil data) and modern species to deduct common lineage. Scientists can also use fossil data to prove other theories. This leads us to our next scientific question.
Scientific Question: How does fossil data help prove Alfred Wegener's theory of Pangea, continental drift, and modern-day plate tectonics?
Update: Construct a CER to answer the given scientific question. After completing and submitting your CER post, leave a comment on three of your peers' CER posts. Your comments should address the following:
Comment: Open the document below of a work sample done by Mr. Welch. Read through each component: claim, evidence, and reasoning. When you are finished, leave a comment which will address the following self-reflection prompts:
The purpose of this lesson is for students to more fully understand fossil data by investigating fossils found on continents and creating an argument as to how these fossils support plate tectonics and the idea that all continents were once connected. Students should make connections between the characteristics of the species and the environments where they have been found. Therefore, the work done by students in this module is conceptual and analytical in its structure.
Similar to lesson one, students are engaging with their peers by giving feedback on their CER writing. Additionally, students are allowed to engage in self-reflection and metacognition. Through these peer feedback processes and self-reflection, the learning done in this module arises from the social interactions that occur. Students' work is not about remembering basic facts, but it is about coming to know and creating knowledge through pieces of work. Therefore, the driving pedagogy throughout this learning module is work-focused. (Cope & Kalantzis, 2015).
Standards addressed in this lesson are as follows:
Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)
Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI)
Cross-Cutting Concepts (CC)
Essential Questions:
Please watch the video below to understand the theory of seafloor spreading (begin watching at time stamp 1:30). Seafloor spreading, proposed by Harry Hess, is a piece of major evidence to support the theory of modern plate tectonics and Alred Wegener's theory of continental drift.
Chervitz, J. (2014, January 5). Seafloor spreading educational children's cartoon. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXYAdzmwQsc
There are some essential points made in the video watched. First, due to the magma erupting from mid-ocean ridges and cooling to form rock, the ocean floor (oceanic crust) is older as you move from mid-ocean ridges to coastlines. Second, oceanic crust moves underneath continental crust at coastlines in a process called subduction. This process happens because oceanic crust is denser than continental crust. As a result of this process, oceanic crust is "recycled," becoming melting down into magma. However, this leads us to ponder another interesting scientific question.
Scientific Question: Why is continental crust composed of older rock, but oceanic crust is composed of younger rock?
Update: Construct a CER to answer the given scientific question. After completing and submitting your CER post, leave a comment on three of your peers' CER posts. Your comments should address the following:
Comment: Leave a comment which will address the following self-reflection prompts:
The scientific question given to students makes this work conceptual and applied in terms of knowledge-making. Students are given direct instruction for what seafloor spreading is. However, they must manipulate and apply the concepts given to them to create an argument for the real-world phenomenon that continental crust is then older than oceanic crust. Students should recognize through their deeper investigation of sea-floor spreading and the interaction of plates at convergent boundaries, oceanic crust is constantly recycled and that the Earth obeys the law of conservation of matter. It is with this mind that, the students’ understanding of seafloor spreading, the mechanism which drives it, and the results of seafloor spreading can be evaluated based on the students' ability to apply those concepts (Kalantzis & Cope, 2012).
Standards addressed in this lesson are as follows:
Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)
Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI)
Cross-Cutting Concepts (CC)
Essential Questions:
We are now going to take our understanding of plate tectonics and try to explain a unique phenomenon. In November 2013, off the coast of Japan, an island formed virtually overnight. The video below, taken by the Japanese Coast Guard shows the early stages of the island's formation. The new island continued to grow for about two years.
Euronews. (2012, November 21). Rare video: New island emerges off Japan coast after volcano eruption. [Video]. Youtube.
When we think of the various ways the surface of the Earth can change, we often think of these changes occurring during very long time scales. This is a significant exception. This leads us to our next scientific question to be investigated.
Scientific Question: Could an island appear suddenly like this anywhere, or might there be something special about the location that made this possible?
Update: Construct a CER to answer the given scientific question. After completing and submitting your CER post, leave a comment on three of your peers' CER posts. Your comments should address the following:
Comment: Leave a comment which will address the following self-reflection prompts:
This lesson focuses on an interesting and puzzling phenomenon. Much of earth science is centered around long time scales, which makes this island's sudden appearance a challenging phenomenon to explain. With this in mind, the CER writing for this lesson will engage students in the analytical and applied knowledge processes. Students will make and apply connections between known concepts and find evidence that could explain the cause for such a puzzling effect (the sudden appearance of an island).
Standards addressed in this lesson are as follows:
Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)
Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI)
Cross-Cutting Concepts (CC)
Essential Questions:
Further evidence for plate tectonics is devastating phenomena known as earthquakes. Watch the video below to get some background information on earthquakes.
National Geographic. (2011, March 11). Earthquakes 101. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSgB1IWr6O4
The video stated that there are nearly 100,000 earthquakes every year, but only 1,000 are strong enough to cause major damage. This leads us to an interesting scientific question and one that will drive our peer-reviewed project for this learning module.
Driving Scientific Question: Why are some earthquakes stronger than others?
Conceptual Questions:
Project Logistics:
There will be three stages to this project: draft stage (1 week), feedback stage (1 week), and revision stage (1 week). You will be randomly assigned to peer review three peers during this project's second week, the feedback stage. Your peer reviews will follow the peer review feedback form, which can be found below. You will complete this form and give it to your peers to make revisions to their work during the final week of this project, the revision stage.
This lesson, and the subsequent work done by students, is heavily work-focused and recursive in its design. Students will be creating an authentic work that will address experiential, conceptual, analytical, and applied knowledge processes. Additionally, this work will be multimodal in its presentation as students will continue to use the written mode to generate meaning and convey knowledge. Still, students will also utilize the visual and audio modes to know and demonstrate their learning through pictures, videos, and visual models in their authentic work. This three-stage work is heavily social through the extensive feedback students will give one another during stage two. Some aspects of the feedback form are familiar to students through the feedback already given in this learning module (e.g., strengths of your peer's work).
One of the more challenging questions for students in this project is regarding seismic waves. During stage one, a mini-lesson could be given to students for them to understand waves in general. Students can work with the following simulation given the prompts in the document below.
Standards addressed in this lesson are as follows:
Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)
Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI)
Cross-Cutting Concepts (CC)
To end our earth science unit, you will be engaging in a collaborative assessment. This will be a two-stage collaborative assessment. In stage one, you will take the assessment by yourself. In stage two, you will be grouped with peers, and you are to complete the same assessment together as a group.
The collaborative assessment to end this learning module includes concepts from this learning module and learning module one which focused on weathering, erosion, and deposition. The survey attached is limited in its structure due to the inability for images and models to be included by the teacher or created by the students. Therefore, this collaborative assessment is more effective for in-person implementation. The complete collaborative assessment is below.
Chervitz, J. (2014, January 5). Seafloor spreading educational children's cartoon. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXYAdzmwQsc
Cope, B. & Kalantzis, M. (2015). Assessment and pedagogy in the era of machine-mediated learning. In T. Dragonas, K. J. Gergen, S. McNamee and E. Tseliou (Eds.), Education as social construction: Contributions to theory, research, and practice (pp. 350-374). Chagrin Falls OH: Worldshare Books.
Cope, B. & Kalantzis, M. (2021). Pedagogy. Works & Days. https://newlearningonline.com/learning-by-design/pedagogy
Kalantzis, M., & Cope, B. (2012). New learning: Elements of a science of education (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Kalantzis, M., & Cope, B. (2021). The knowledge processes. New Learning Online. https://newlearningonline.com/learning-by-design/the-knowledge-processes
Euronews. (2012, November 21). Rare video: New island emerges off Japan coast after volcano eruption. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZY6kH_RXSU
Fuse School - Global Education. (2018, October 3). How do fossils form?. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID7qhn1ipmw
National Geographic. (2011, March 11). Earthquakes 101. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSgB1IWr6O4
Only clear skies on Google Maps and Earth. [Online image]. (2013). Google Earth. https://blog.google/products/earth/only-clear-skies-on-google-maps-and/
Wisconsin Department of Instruction. (2017). Wisconsin standards for science. https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/standards/New%20pdfs/ScienceStandards2017.pdf