Summary of Active Learning

Strategies Inquiry Strategies

 Inquiry Activities Labs, Labs, Labs
 Reading Strategies  Launch Labs
 Conceptualization  Mini Labs
 Writing Strategies  Full Labs
 Connections to the Real  Data Analysis
World  Virtual Labs
 Modeling  Stations
 Active Assessment  Lab Practicals
 Technology Connections

Labs:
An Integral Part Of The Lesson Follow-up on Labs
 Labs are not separate from the lesson.  Check for
 Incorporate labs at the point of understanding on
learning. the lab.
 Use labs constantly.  Give a lab quiz. Let

 Analyze the data.

students use their
lab papers.
 Incorporate the data and conclusions of
 Ask top-down
the labs into the subsequent learning
questions.
 Have students design their own
experiments

Active Reading / Note Taking

Strategies KWL –Know –Want to Know-Learned
 KWL Have students read a section of the text
 Word Splash or a related article and have them
 Anticipation Guides answer the following questions:
 Combination Notes
 What is something I Already Knew?
 Cornell Notes
Active Reading Strategies create anticipation for
 What is something I Want to Know?
reading selections and reflection on what students
have read. All of these can be used with cooperative
learning exercises  What is something I Learned?

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Word Splash
A word splash is a collection of key
words or concepts chosen from a
passage or chapter that students are
about to read. This strategy gives
students a chance to relate the new
words or concepts to the main topic of
the reading.
Anticipation Guide
In a an anticipation guide activity, you predict
the answers to a series of statements before
you read a selection. After reading you go
back and see how accurate your prior
knowledge was.
1. This is a great pre-read strategy.
2. It deals strongly with misconceptions.

Combination Notes Combination Notes

Combination notes are particularly useful for Additional Formats:
students who learn well through visuals. By adding a
sketch to an informal outline, students draw a picture Column One Column Two
to help them understand and recall information. Major Points Minor Points

Outline Examples

General Detail

Key Words: Outline:

Cornell Notes Conceptualization Strategies
 In the right hand  Main Idea Webs
column of the chart,
write an outline of the  Y Diagrams
section.
 After writing the  Sequence Diagrams
outline, list key words
from the section in the
 Concept Maps
left hand column.  Foldables (A Glencoe Exclusive)
 At the bottom of the
page, write a summary Summary:
of the outline.

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Main Idea Web Foldables
Foldables are a physically created graphic
Carbohydrates / Polysaccharides Proteins
organizers that are used to involve students in
an active search and organization of main
ideas of a concept or concepts.
Types of Organic Macromolecules They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and
have been shown in research to engage
students in science concepts and to increase
Lipids Nucleic Acids achievement.

Y Diagrams Sequence Diagrams

Concept Maps Writing Strategies

Four ways that information can clarify a concept  Quick Write / Pair Share
are by  RAFT Summary
 • explaining a process  Content Frames
 • identifying effects  Analogies
 • providing examples  Position Papers
 • dividing a concept into parts

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Quick Write / Pair Share RAFT Summary
 Think and write down what you know or have The goal of this
learned about a particular topic. strategy is to have
 After you have written down your thoughts and the students think about
facilitator have given the signal, “pair” with another their perspective on
person with another person and share your thoughts the topic and their
on the topic. audience. See the
following examples.
 When the facilitator gives the signal, “pair” with
another “pair” and do the same.
 As a foursome, come up with a summary list of your
thoughts.

Content Frames: Chemical Bonds Analogies

Bond Type Nature of Bond Example Relative An analogy is an extended comparison between two
strength subjects. It is often used to help explain unfamiliar
compared to
other types of concepts, theories, and words by comparing them to
bonds more familiar ones.
Ionic Bonds For example, one can compare Earth’s layers to the
layers of a hard-boiled egg. After students gain
Covalent Bonds experience in using analogies, ask them to list
another process, concept, or theory and think of their
Hydrogen Bonds own analogies.

Position Papers Position Papers: Examples

Position papers allow the students to do  Stem Cell Research
research on a controversial or debatable topic
 Global Warming
and then write their position on the topic
based on their research and on their personal  Deforestation
opinions.
 Genetic Engineering
Guidelines should be given along with rubrics of Food Sources
so students have a clear idea of the teachers
expectations.  Intelligent Design as
Science

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Connecting Science to the Real World
 News Links
 Case Studies
 Community and Education Projects
 Issue Responses
 Webquests
News Links
Science News Links
Science News for Kids http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org
ScienceDaily http://www.sciencedaily.com/ index.htm
CNN Science & Space News http://www.cnn.com/ TECH/ space/
ScienCentral News http://www.sciencentral.com
National Geographic News http://news.nationalgeographic.com/
Community and Education Projects
These are hands on projects that students
choose to get involved in or that you set up as
a full class activity. Contact your local
Department of Natural Resources,
Community Government Office, University
Science Department, and Local Corporations.
News Links
There are a variety of sources for current
updates on science in the news. Many of
these feature short articles on the topics we
are teaching on in our classrooms. These
keep our teaching relevant and often engage
students. RSS feeds are available to update
you. Cooperative learning strategies and
active reading strategies should be used with
current news.
Case Studies
These are problem based learning exercises. They
have been used for years in some disciplines like
medicine and law, but have been shown in
research to have a definite impact on learning
science. For further information go to The
National Center for Case Study Teaching in
Science
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/case.html
Community and Education
Projects
Examples:
 Rouge Rescue
 Ford Motor Company Science
Research Program for High
School Students
 Eastern Michigan University
– Hands on Chemistry
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Issue Responses Modeling
These are similar to position papers, but relate  Small Scale
to a current issue in the community, state, or  Large Scale
nation where students get involved in an issue
of importance through letter writing or project
involvement. This includes research into the
area of interest.
Examples: Development of a Wetland
Community Environmental Decisions

Small Scale Modeling Large Scale Modeling

Have students actually role play concepts.
Examples:
DNA Replication, RNA Transcription
Predator/Prey Relationships

Active Assessment Technology Strategies

Quick Check – Card Responses  Virtual Labs
Quick Check – Other Forms  Creating Websites
Interactive Review and Assessment  Classroom Blogs
 Online Partnerships
 Interactive Websites

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Virtual Labs
Virtual Labs do not replace hands-on
experiences but a valuable tools for the
following:
1. To engage students
2. To allow students to experience lab situations
that are too dangerous for the classroom or
impractical because of equipment.
3. To allow students enrichment experiences.
4. To make up a missed classroom lab.
Online Partnerships
 Garbage on the Grass Competition
This program enlists junior high and senior
high schools around the country to audit one
days worth of trash and develop plans to
reduce the waste stream at their school.
www.garbageweek.com
Interactive Websites
www.glencoe.com: The Best Publisher Website
www.cellsalive.com: Great Cell Site
www.scilinks.org: NSTA SciLinks
www.himi.org: Howard Hughes Medical
Institute
www.dnai.org: DNA Initiative Website
Classroom Blogs
A Blog is a web log that allows topics to be
posted and commented upon.
A good site to try for your first classroom blog is
www.blogger.com
Interactive Websites
There are a multitude of websites from
publishers, educational institutions and
organizations, and businesses that include
very valuable interactive formats that support
a variety of learning styles and topics.
Students often find these engaging as well as
adding to their understanding through
visualization and interaction.
www.glencoe.com
Other Interactive Websites
www.NSTA.org/ - National Science Teachers Assoc
 www.NABT.org/ - National Association of Biology Teachers
 www.Chemistry.org/ - American Chemical Society
 www.niehs.nih.gov/science-education/ National Institute for
Environment Health Science
 www.pbs.org/teachers/sciencetech/ - PBS
 http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/
 www.nsdl.org – National Science Digital Library
 www.nsf.gov – National Science Foundation
 http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/case.html -
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science