Lopez - Week 2

In Planning for Engagement with Important Science Ideas, the author discusses a new approach to Science instruction which requires students to understand grade-level concepts and content in terms of a phenomena that is context specific in order to better mirror how scientists work.This requires students to be able to not only understand, but connect and apply the concepts to other phenomena and their larger experience and world. As opposed to simply recreating and regurgitating ideas from textbooks, Ambitious Science Teaching challenges teachers to engage students through an anchoring event related to a real life phenomena, larger science ideas, and their own experiences and knowledge. Models and Modeling explains how explanatory modeling mirrors how scientists work in real-life and how students can use this to help explain and develop their understanding of phenomena in the anchoring event.

The Science department at my school has started utilizing the Ambitious Science Teaching framework for teaching all standards this past year, although I would say that it is applied somewhat inconsistently. I have seen with my own students that connecting concepts to an anchoring event that hooks them initially and that can be referred back to as the unit continues does captivate their attention and keep them engaged. They have a strong natural desire to understand the world and how it works. I think that the challenge in using this approach to Science instruction is that many of our students have not been been doing their own thinking, developing their curiosity, or observational skills, so they need to be taught these skills and held to these expectations. There may be push back initially, but I think they will buy in with time. Additionally, I believe this is the type of instruction that will make concepts "sticky" for students. When we teach students to memorize ideas and facts, there is no reason for them to remember past the test, even though it will be important for them to build upon these ideas with future Science courses.

I also think that using explanatory models not only allows students to make their thinking visible, but also teaches the important skill of peer revision and feedback. If we want students to think and act like scientists, they need to be comfortable giving and receiving feedback and constantly revising their work to reflect new understandings and information. They can see their own understanding grow, change, and evolve. I believe the more capable students feel they are, the more effort and engagement they demonstrate.