SCIENCE

UBD

**Welcome to our Science home page.**

 * November 8th Election Day**


 * Below are all the handouts from our professional development!**











[[file:election day science.ppt]]
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/admin/Desktop/December%2016th%20science%20meeting.doc

Dr. A, Mr. Mindlin, Mr. Gibbons
 * How can you use what you learned at 217?**


 * Using exit projects to continue and re-enforce the common core standards to the student body.
 * Increase student writing standards, through various activities

o Journal entries

o Lab write up using the IDD and the DSET


 * What next steps will you take in your classroom?**


 * Introduction and breakdown of IDD and the DSET

__December 16__ Science Agenda December 16, 2011

1) Our Exploratory Vessels should all sail in the same direction! a. Location of Pacing Calendar b. Review of Pacing Calendar c. Marking period Assessments d. Transfer of classes e. Utilization of Ubd lessons

2) There is no time like the present! a. State of our classroom environment address. b. Development Pre-planning c. DSET d. IDD e. DSET + IDD = Core Common Task

3) Science will save us! a. Review of our NYS Report Card and CEP b. Review of our ___ students.__ __c. What are we doing in class for our__ __students?__ __d. What will we do outside of class for our__ __students?__ __e. Why? Were a SINI school!__

__4) Skedula-What’s this all about?__ __a. Review of features__ __b. My time is important?__ __c. See #2 (There is no time like the present!)__

__5) 2nd Marking Period Assessments (Back to 1c)__ __a) What are we going to test and what do we want to measure?__ __b) Why?__ __c) Why not?__ __d) Create the Test!__

By June 2012, science teachers will develop, administer and analyze a core common task at the 6th, 7th and 8th grade levels. Exposure to CCSS will increase academic rigor in our lessons and result in improved performance for the English Language Learners subgroup which did not meet safe harbor in science. || Based on the citywide instructional expectations for 2011-2012 and in an effort to increase the academic rigor in literacy and science, students must demonstrate their knowledge of science by constructing a viable argument using the scientific method by citing specific textual evidence to support analysis of science concepts (CCSS reading standard for literacy in Science 6-12) and write arguments focused on discipline-specific content (CCSS writing standards for literacy in Science 6-12). Students will demonstrate their proficiency of this task by: 1) Introducing a claim about a topic or issue 2) Acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims 3) Organize the reasons and evidence logically 4) Support claims with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible resources 5) Use words, phrases and clauses to create cohesion and clarify relationships among claim, counterclaim, reasons and evidence 6) Establish a formal style 7) Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from supports the argument presented.
 * CEP GOAL(Comprehensive Educational Plan)**__
 * **Annual Goal #1 **
 * **Comprehensive needs assessment **
 * taken from CCSS for mathematics

|| To implement the above mentioned goal, research-based instructional strategies and activities will be utilized. Currently, the science department at M.S. 217 utilizes the use of a weekly laboratory reports. Laboratory reports are derived from classroom experiments carefully constructed and facilitated by the science teacher. Students must demonstrate their knowledge and application of the scientific method and import the above mentioned standards. Weekly use of this task increases the academic demand we put on students and further, scaffolds upon student’s scientific skills. Within each class, students receive a differentiated approach to addressing the laboratory report. We recognize the different starting points of each student and seek to build upon their skills based on their skill level. Additional strategies for ELL students will be addressed. Such strategies include the introduction of essential vocabulary before beginning the task, use of visuals, scaffolding upon background knowledge and differentiated learning groups. For students with disabilities, the above mentioned strategies will be utilized. Additional steps include reviewing the student’s IEP (Individualized Education Plan), anticipating potential barriers to learning and providing and accommodations to meet the student’s individual needs. Trained ELL and Special Education staff will be utilized to implement the above mentioned strategies for the specified sub-groups. Steps taken to include teachers in the decision-making regarding the above mentioned goal and strategies, is a bimonthly department meeting with the science department. During the time teachers meet in grade teams to discuss and determine strategies to be utilized grade and/or class wide. Additionally, professional development provided by our network, or collaboration with Urban Advantage and collaborations with partner institutions including the American Museum of Natural History, will be directed to support teachers, as they create and develop this task. Timeline for implementation, which includes professional development for teachers, team and department meetings, scaffolding and design of task, identifying additional resources and support services for ELLs and Special Education subgroups will be from September 2011 until May 2012. || Strategies for increased parental involvement include the pilot of online grading software. Through this experience, parents have the opportunity to view student attendance by period, assignments, report cards, and student schedule. Additionally, students will be able to track their child’s high school readiness with the high school readiness tracker. Another strategy for increased parental involvement is the continuation of “Science Night”. Through this experience, parents will come to school with their children and be immersed in the fun and beauty of Science. Our teachers, as well as museums throughout NYC present fascinating workshops for parents and children to support a love of science. || Budget sources to implement the above mentioned instructional strategies and interventions include Title III, and FSF (Fair student funding). __** December 16th science meeting - **__ concerns 1.books – who needs them, who has them, what do we have. the increase of 6th grades is cause for a lack of texts.All the teachers want atleast one class set of the complete text. At present we have textbooks with 1 or 2 units. Pacing Calendar - City calendar is located the DOE website Home page – Academics – Science - Educator resources - Planning guides / pacing calendar we need to be on the same page. 2 teachers will volunteer to “rework” the pacing calendar to make it more feasible. UBD lessons are on the “green magnet” WIKI Classroom Environment Make students accountable for their grades; make goals in the classroom that are specific to a present topic. Start using DSET and IDD if you have done so yet. These will be used as a rubric for exit project. Review NYS report card and CEP On wiki – SINI (School in need of improvement) – AOR2011 Focus will be on Spanish speaking ELLs. CEP goal – Talked about and discussed. Make sure to implement DSET & IDD We need to make learning groups evident in our room. Skedula Grading system that will be in place next year. Works off of ARIS and our report card system. Should make it easier to do report cards at the end of the marking period. __January 20th Science Meeting__ ||
 * **Instructional strategies/activities **
 * **Strategies to increase parental involvement **
 * **Strategies for attracting Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) **
 * Describe the strategies and activities that will be used to attract Highly Qualified Teachers, as defined by NCLB, or to ensure that current staff become highly qualified, in order to achieve this goal. ||
 * **Service and program coordination **
 * Describe how Federal, State and local services, including programs supported under NCLB (i.e., violence prevention programs, nutrition programs, housing programs, Head Start) are being coordinated with the instructional strategies/activities to achieve this goal. ||
 * **Budget and resources alignment **

1) 8th grade Assessment Distribution- -Assessment consists of 2011 NYS Science Assessment -Excludes extended response questions -must be completed by Friday, January 27th. -extended response questions not on assessment 2) 7th grade assessment- -can't be an assessment because we're not on the same page -3rd marking period assessment will be combination of rocks and cells 3) 6th grade marking period complete 4) following the 8th grade assessment... -the 8th grade assessment will be handed off to the data inquiry team. -data inquiry will conduct an item analysis -completed analysis will be given back to teachers where we will review and use to inform our teaching. 5) Quality Review Items -a look at Quaility indicator 1.1 -why are we only looking at 1.1? Overlaps... -Classroom environment (curb appeal) is very important for students. 6) Science night - March 16th -whats going on? 7) Extended response questions -how often do students have exposure to science extended response questions -how often do students have access to literature and research in your class - a quick review of CCSS -what do you think the NYS science assessment will look like in a few years? 8) The exit projects is now called the culminating core common task -rubric 9) Our Department 10) Next Steps

__September 10, 2012__

Are our classroom set up for student success?

1) Furniture is set up to establish accountable talk 2) First impression to observer is “This room is obviously a (subject) room”/resources are easily accessible 3) Room is clean and free of boxes, old no longer used textbooks, organized for success 4) Teacher lesson plan is available 5) Note any needs (furniture, fixes, graffiti removal, etc) 6) Student materials

Everyone was emailed the pacing calendars for all grades. What should the expectation be for following the pacing guides?

Tasks are embedded in pacing guide. If you saved it to desktop you can access link via internet.