A TIME for PHYSICS FIRST

Academy for Teachers - Inquiry and
Modeling Experiences for Physics First

Lesson Study
C&I 8900, 2007-08

Goals

The goals are to engage in the professional development activity called lesson study in order to:

1. Examine your own teaching
2. Develop a community of like-minded teachers in the discussion and planning of science lessons, and
3. Promote thinking deeply about science content, student learning, and best practices for science teaching.

Support for these goals is accomplished through your participation in A TIME for Physics First. More specifically, your membership in a Professional Learning Team (PLT) provides a local support network of like-minded people with similar goals. The central professional development activity of this community is Lesson Study. Your participation in this activity is supported by a Coach Mentor and by your enrollment in C&I 8900. The links below take you to the Lesson Study Project description and the Lesson Study Rubric. Each PLT is responsible for completing a Lesson Study project and report by May 1, 2008.

• Lesson Study Project
• Lesson Study Rubric
• Instructional Strategies for Assessment

The following are Professional Development Readings - Web sites, Books (linked to Amazon.com),and articles (pdf format).

Web Sites:

• Modeling in science -- Arizona State University
• Models in science -- University of Wisconsin
• Physics Education Research and Development -- University of Minnesota
• Whiteboarding in the classroom -- SUNY - Buffalo

Books

• Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press
• National Research Council, (1996). The National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
• National Research Council, (2000). Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A guide for teaching and learning. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
• National Research Council, (2001). Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
• Missouri Grade Level Expectations, (2005) Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Articles

• Engaging students in conducting Socratic dialogues: Suggestions for science teachers
• Whiteboarding & Socratic dialogues: Questions & answers
  

Frequently Asked Questions about Lesson Study

Question: Cover page: Is it okay if the timeline with all the PLT dates are given on a separate page?
Answer: Yes

Question: How much detail should there be in the Lesson Study Topic Planning section? Is it okay if it is an intro -- that is, can it offer a glimpse into what will be elaborated?
Answer: Yes, this is a good idea.

Question: Is the rationale for choosing the topic described in terms of lesson study or teaching?
Answer: Teaching (see project guidelines on goals).

Question: Is the difficulty of the lesson supposed to be described twice?
Answer: Yes, first, the difficulty should be described in terms of making a choice for what lesson was selected and why it was selected. (For example, “The lesson was selected because students have difficulty in conceptualizing equations.”) Second, in the writing of the lesson, a rationale should describe what makes the lesson difficult. (For example: “Students find equation writing difficult for a number of reasons, including….”)

Question: What are the goals aligned with?
Answer: The goals are aligned with each other. The PLT goal, unit goal, and lesson goal should be linked. The rationale for the goals should explain this linkage.

Question: Is it okay to write the report with section headings? “Section it out?”
Answer: Yes, please do. There is a list of headings at the end of the project guidelines that proposes headings.

More questions? Email them to Mark Volkmann

E-mail: meerac@missouri.edu
Phone: (573) 882-2619
Address: University of Missouri - Columbia