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Benchmarks Revealed

Week Five

Reading the Benchmarks

We have finally reached the end of the benchmarks. There is plenty of content in these last two strands, but we will use these benchmarks to achieve another goal.

Since the focus is still the Using activity, your job is not to read the details of the physical science and earth/space science benchmarks, but to pay attention to the sub-activities that define Using. Last week we covered describe and predict, so be sure to look for the use of these sub-activities in the current reading. This week we

Reading the Benchmarks (continued)

will spent most of our time with the two remaining sub-activities: explaining and designing (controlling).

Be sure that you also read the narratives (found only in MEGOSE) that precede each of these Using sections and also review the real-world contexts that are attached to each benchmark/objective (found both in MEGOSE and the Science Benchmarks).

The Nature of Science Literacy

First there is a need to reiterate that which was stated last week. The definition of Scientific literacy, according to the Michigan Benchmarks, is the combined scientific activities of Reflecting, Constructing, and Using. Using is the activity that gives purpose to knowledge. And it is Using that continues to be the focus of this week’s presentation.

Scientists use the knowledge they produce to Describe, Predict, Explain, and control (Design) the world about them. The latter two sub-

The Nature of Science (continued)

activities are even more important than the first two. Explaining and controlling represent science in the “highest gear” of Using. These two then are the ultimate endeavors of scientists and the activity goal to which all of science aspires. Let’s look at each carefully in the context of science and in the context of the Michigan Science Benchmarks.

Using Scientific Knowledge to Explain

One way to Use knowledge is to use it in the sub-activity of explaining. Explaining attempts to scientifically answer the “why question”. The best explanations, of course, are the ones scientists feel most comfortable with given the current state of their knowledge. This implies that explanations will change as the nature of the knowledge held by science changes.

The “why question” is best applied to events and phenomena. An event would be like one billiard

Explaining (continued)

ball striking a second motionless ball and the second ball then starting to move. The “why question” for this event would be, “Why did the second ball start to move?” An answer, and therefore an explanation, can be found in the knowledge of science by applying Newton’s Laws to to what happened. “That happened because we know that according to the Second Law, if (this) is the initial condition, then (this) will always be the resulting condition.”

Application of the “why question” to phenomena

Explaining (continued)

can be illustrated when asking the question, “Why is the sky blue?” In this case, the answer can be found in the rules guiding the known behavior of refracting light as it passes through the atmosphere from the Sun.

Examples of this can be found in the following benchmarks: IV.2.HS.1 Explain why (how is used in the benchmark, but this is wrong) energy is conserved in physical and chemical changes, and IV.2.HS.5 Explain chemical changes (why

Explaining (continued)

did chemical A react with chemical B in that way?) in terms of the arrangement and motion of atoms and molecules. This last example actually restricts the type of explanation that is permitted.

Both of the benchmarks call for students to be able to provide explanations of physical events (of a specific class). Those explanations have their basis in physical laws and theories that students need to know and be able Use appropriately in the “why question” context.

Explaining (continued)

One thing that cannot be explained using the “why question” is objects or how objects work. “Explain the Sun,” does not really make much sense. What is really meant is, “Describe the Sun,” and that does make sense. In the same manner, “Explain how the Sun works,” is actually a describe question, “Describe how the Sun works.” This misuse of the word “explain” is probably the result of common language usage that is differs from the scientific language use.

Explaining (continued)

Just remember, if you catch yourself saying, “Explain how …,” you really mean, “Describe how .” Thus, “explain how the water cycle works,” is not a question calling for a scientific explanation. Rather, it is calling for a description of the steps in the water cycle and the better statement would be, “describe the steps in the water cycle.”

There are many examples of the misuse of the word Explain in the Michigan Benchmarks. The

Explaining (continued)

best place to look would be the Earth and Space Science benchmarks (Strand 5). The editors of this section went overboard in the misuse of Explain. Example: V.1.HS.1 Explain the surface features of the Great Lakes region using ice Age theory. As stated, this Benchmark is best revised to say, Describe the surface features…, but that is possibly not the intent. This example can be rewritten to properly use the “why question” by doing the following:

Explain why the surface features of the Great

Explaining (continued)

Lakes differ from the surface features of the Central Plains states by using Ice Age theory.

Can you see the difference? See if you can rewrite the following to turn them into Benchmarks that apply the “why question” more appropriately:

V.1.MS.4 Explain how rocks are broken…

V.2.HS.2 Explain relationships between the hydrosphere...

V.3.HS.2 Explain and predict general weather…

Using Scientific Knowledge to Design (control)

The last Using sub-activity is Design. It is better to think of Design as control since that is a better description what is really happening.

Once scientists are able to describe, predict, and explain an event, then the next level is to control the event. Design is about control. For example, nuclear fission was first described, then rules were discovered that permitted prediction and explanation of the nuclear phenomena. But it took many years before design permitted control of fission so that it could be used to generate

Design (continued)

electricity in a nuclear power plant. Today, scientists still do not have total control of nuclear fusion, although most all the rules are in place for prediction and explanation of fusion events.

In the classroom, Design can be an ultimate Using goal. Generally end-of-unit projects can put the principles of design to best use. This is the point where, if the system or events are fully understood, then they can be potentially controlled. The teacher can establish Design parameters and Design then becomes the

Design (continued)

application of everything learned.

Strangely, the design sub-activity is not used too often in the individual benchmarks. But the examples that are present do show the potential of this approach.

The first is an elementary level example: III.5.E.4 Design systems that encourage growing of particular plants or animals. Too bad that this sub-activity is not carried through the middle levels and up to the high school since much can be learned through repetition of this sub-activity

Design (continued)

using more sophisticated knowledge at each level.

The next example is at the middle school level, which again should probably be carried through to the high school level. IV.3.MS.4 Design strategies for moving objects by application of forces, including the use of simple machines.

Finally, the use of the Design sub-activity is found in the Constructing Benchmarks where the “Design … investigations” is used as an appropriate thread.

Conclusion

This marks the end of our tour of the Michigan Science Benchmarks. Next week, we will use the National Science Education Standards as our primary document. One would hope that these national standards are promoting a similar scientific literacy message to the one laid out for Michigan. But since they were written after the Michigan standards, maybe there are differences. Let’s hope that they are not too radical.

=quiz=

Quiz 5 1. Which of the following best describes the activity of explain?

Student Response Value Correct Answer Feedback A. Telling or showing how something works. B. Giving a good enough reason so that the audience of the explanation feels reassured. C. Scientifically answering the why question through judicious application of known scientific rules. 100% D. Citing or quoting scientists when providing answers to questions students have in the classroom.

Score: 2/2

2. Which of the following would be considered an Intended Learning Outcome for explanation in the scientific sense?

Student Response Value Correct Answer Feedback A. Students will be able to measure the lengths of objects in the classroom in metric units. B. Students will understand the factors affecting whether an object floats or sinks. C. Students will be able to explain buoyancy. D. Students will be able to use the concept of buoyant forces to explain why some objects float in water and others sink. 100%

Score: 2/2

3. Which of the following would be the best rewrite of the benchmark: Explain how new traits might arise and become established in the population, so that it better reflects the explain sub-activity?

Student Response Value Correct Answer Feedback A. Explain why hybrid organisms or new plant varieties have new traits and that those traits might become established in the population using the basic tenets of gene theory and evolution. B. Explain that genes can mutate and that this will provide the impetus for change in the population. C. Explain genetic theory in terms of hybrid organisms and new plant varieties. 0% D. Explain current scientific thinking concerning the appearance of new traits in a population and how those traits might become established.

Score: 0/2 New score: 2/2 This score has been adjusted by the grader.

4. Which of the following best describes the activity of design?

Student Response Value Correct Answer Feedback A. Applying basic principles to achieve an intended result. B. Creating something that is unique or better than anything that preceded it. C. Problem solving. D. Having sufficient knowledge and using it to scientifically control an event. 100%

Score: 2/2

5. Which of the following would be considered an Intended Learning Outcome for design in the scientific sense?

Student Response Value Correct Answer Feedback A. Design a controlled experiment to measure the effects of salt on the buoyant force exerted by water. 100% B. Predict whether a word will look the same when viewed in a mirror. C. Define the following words correctly: Absorption, reflection, transmission. Make a 2-ft. X 3-ft. poster that illustrates an example of each. D. Make a schedule that will adequately provide for the feeding care, and maintenance the cage of a gerbil in the classroom.

Score: 2/2

6. Which of the following would be the best rewrite of the benchmark: Describe responses of an ecosystem to events that cause it to change, so that it best reflects the design sub-activity?

Student Response Value Correct Answer Feedback A. Design an ecosystem with at least 3 biotic and 3 abiotic elements. B. Produce a slide show from pictures taken while on a field-tip to at least three different local ecosystem exemplars. C. Design an ecosystem, such as a small aquarium, so that you can use it to create and control the response of that ecosystem to specific events that might cause change. 100% D. Experiment with a tabletop ecosystem, such as an aquarium, and write-up the results.

Score: 2/2

7. Explain and design together represent which of the following:

Student Response Value Correct Answer Feedback A. Opposite ways of approaching a problem in science. B. The highest form or most powerful endeavors of the using activity. 100% C. Inquiry activities strongly advocated and represented in MEGOSE but almost totally ignored in the Michigan Science Benchmarks. D. Two of the many science processes that need to be learned before any of the specific science content is taught to students.

Score: 2/2

8. According to the Michigan Science Benchmarks, what is scientific literacy?

Student Response: Scientific literacy is Constructing, Reflecting, and Using science according to the Michigan Science Benchmarks. Learning and experiencing in context is a strong focus.

Sample Correct Answer Scientific literacy is the activities of Constructing, Reflecting, and Using scientific knowledge. The Using activity is further subdivided into describing, predicting, explaining, and design. General Feedback: Scientific literacy is the activities of Constructing, Reflecting, and Using scientific knowledge. The Using activity is further subdivided into describing, predicting, explaining, and design. Score: 6/6