BRAIN-TARGETED TEACHING UNIT
Developer: Georgia Woerner
School: Roland Park Elementary/Middle School
Date: January 2006
Unit Topic/Title: Introduction to Science Skills
Grade Level: Grades 6 and 7
Time Frame: 2 weeks
Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum Science Skills and Processes Standards:
  1. Design and carry out simple investigations and formulate appropriate conclusions based on data obtained.
    1. Explain that scientists differ greatly in what phenomena they study and how they go about their work.
    2. Develop the ability to clarify questions and direct them toward objects and phenomena that can be described, explained, or predicted by scientific investigations.
    3. Explain and provide examples that hypotheses are valuable, even if they turn out not to be true, if they lead to fruitful investigations.
    4. Locate information in reference books, back issues of newspapers, magazines and compact disks, and computer databases.

  2. Review data from a simple experiment, summarize the data, and construct a logical argument about the cause-and-effect relationships in the experiment.
    1. Make a case for accepting the idea that there is no fixed set of steps all scientists follow, scientific investigations usually involve the collection of relevant evidence, the use of logical reasoning, and the application of imagination in devising hypotheses and explanations to make sense of the collected evidence.
    2. Describe the role of logic in developing arguments to interpret and draw conclusions
      from data.

  3. Develop explanations that explicitly link data from investigations conducted, selected readings and, when appropriate, contributions from historical discoveries.
    1. Organize information in simple tables and graphs and identify relationships they reveal.
    2. Give examples of how scientific knowledge is subject to modification as new information challenges prevailing theories and as a new theory leads to looking at old observations in a new way.
    3. Recognize that important contributions to the advancement of science, mathematics, and technology have been made by different kinds of people, in different cultures, at different times.
Brain Target #1 - Emotional Climate
1. Involve items students enjoy, such as peanut butter and jelly and legos.
2. Allow students to use tools and manipulatives, such as balances, graduated cylinders and colored water, rulers, and thermometers.
3. Allow students to use positive reinforcement and constructive criticism only.
4. Offer assistance to students with special needs; cater to multiple intelligences and multiple learning modalities.

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Brain Target #2 - Physical Environment
1. Arrange desks in pairs, all facing the front of the room, for daily activities.
2. Arrange desks in groups for cooperative activities.
3. Display student work in the classroom. Click here for a sample "Super Scientists bulletin board.
4. Display chart on the metric system/measurement.
5. Display tools used in measurement.
6. Display science skills posters.

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Brain Target #3 - Learning Design (Concept Maps/Advanced Organizer)
1. Students will complete a bubble chart with “science” as the center word. This will serve to help students gather their prior knowledge about the nature of science and science skills. Click here for a sample bubble chart.
2. Use T-charts for observations vs. inferences and for qualitative vs. quantitative observations.
3. Use flow charts for procedure writing. Click here for a sample flow chart.

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Brain Target #4 - Teaching for Mastery (Declarative/Procedural Knowledge)

Instructional Objective: Students will know the difference between observations and inferences, and be able to correctly identify observations and inferences.

Activities:

1. Students will discuss observations/inferences, and quantitative vs. qualitative observations. Teacher will lead discussion and provide guidance.
2. Students will make observations of 10 items, and then try to recall them. Students will make observations (quantitative and qualitative) and inferences based on a given item.
3. Students will make observations of various items belonging to the teacher, and write an obituary for the teacher, based on inferences.
4. Students will complete review worksheets on observations and inferences.

Instructional Objective: Students will know the steps in the scientific method, and be able to correctly write each step in a lab report.

Activities:

5. Students will practice procedure writing with peanut butter and jelly cracker sandwiches. Students will try to follow their own procedures to construct the sandwiches.
6. Students will practice procedure writing with lego models. Students will write procedures to construct a model, and then switch with another group. The other group will try to recreate the original model, using the written procedures.
7. Students will discuss the steps in the scientific method, and explain each, using a given experiment.

Instructional Objective: Students will know the units in the metric system, and be able to make accurate measurements of mass, volume, length, and temperature.

Activities:

8. Teacher will give notes on the metric system, properties of matter and how they are measured, and demonstrate.
9. Students will practice measuring mass, volume, length, and temperature.
10. Students will complete review worksheets on these skills.

Instructional Objective: Students will know the importance of lab safety, and be able to demonstrate safety when conducting a lab or activity.

Activities:

11. Students will view the video Accident at Jefferson High.
12. Students will suggest lab safety rules, and teacher will organize/summarize them.

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Brain Target #6 - Evaluating Learning
  • Activity 1: Listen to student responses to gauge learning - reteach or provide practice if needed.
  • Activity 2: Students will evaluate strategies for activity by seeing which students did the best on the activities, and what strategies they used.
  • Activity 3: Writing assignment will be graded according to Rubric One.
  • Activity 4: Worksheets will be graded for completion and accuracy.
  • Activity 5: Students will self-evaluate after trying to perform procedures. Some students will demonstrate for class.
  • Activity 6: Conclusion to lego activity will be assessed according to Rubric 2.
  • Activity 7: Students will self-assess after a classroom discussion. Students may make changes to their work.
  • Activity 9: Teacher will assess ability levels while students conduct activities. Students will peer assess and correct.
  • Activity 10: Worksheets will be assessed for completion and accuracy.
  • Activity 12: Teacher will asses students' knowledge of lab safety, based on answers suggested.
  • Activity 13: Posters will be evaluated based on Rubric 3.
  • Quizzes: Each Friday

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Materials
Worksheets
Peanut butter
Jelly
Crackers
Plastic knives
Paper towels
Legos (8 sets of 2 identical structures)
Brown paper bags
Inspiration software
LCD projector
Portable screen
Overhead projector
 Rubrics
Accident at Jefferson High video
Rulers
Balances
Graduated cylinders
Food coloring
Thermometers
Trays and canisters with mystery items
Teacher personal items
Unlined paper
Markers

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