W HAT IS A C URRICULUM T OPIC S TUDY ? Acronym CTS Process used to inform you before you plan an actual unit/lesson or syllabus. Process used to help plan a lesson Researching student thinking on the topic/explore student misconceptions on a given topic. Process curriculum committees use to look at the topics in your curriculum across grade spans and identify gaps, redundancy, new contexts, and make sure teachers are teaching what is important. Process helps move teachers beyond “just the thinking” to having a research based support for any topic. Process used by entire science departments to align and provide connections for the “big ideas” across disciplines.

W HAT YOU DO WITH A CTS? Learn new content or refresh what you already know about an existing topic. Choose content to design course syllabus. Develop K-12 scope and sequence. Analyze current curriculum materials. Develop instructional materials or instructional strategies. Clarify learning goals. Develop assessments. (formative and summative) Review or revise curriculum taught by focusing on state and/or district standards.

B EGINNING T HE P ROCESS

S TEP 1: HELP TEACHERS ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CHOSEN TOPIC What important ideas make up this topic? What is important for students to know or be able do? What learning opportunities or teaching strategies are effective with this topic? What difficulties or misconceptions are associated with this topic? What relevant connections can be made within science or in other disciplines?

S TEP 2: G ATHER SUPPORT M ATERIALS Science for All Americans Science Matters Benchmarks for Science Literacy National Science Education Standards Making Sense of Secondary Science Atlas of Science Literacy State Standards or Frameworks and Curriculum Guides Optional: Videos, Journal Articles, Web Sites, Trade Books (sky is the limit)

S TEP 3: C HOOSE T OPIC AND C OMPLETE A NALYSIS CTS Summary for the CTS Topic: ENERGY. I. Identify Adult Content Knowledge (indicating scientific literacy) from Science For All Americans Chapter 4, Energy Transformations – p Chapter 5,Flow of Matter and Energy – p Chapter 8, Energy Sources and Uses – p From Science Matters – Chapter 2, Energy - p II. Consider the Instructional Implications from Benchmarks For Science Literacy & NSES III. Identify Concepts and Specific Ideas from Benchmarks and NSES IV. Examine Research on Student Learning From Benchmarks and Making Sense of Secondary Science V. Examine Coherency and Articulation from the Atlas of Science Literacy VI. Clarify Connections to Iowa Core Curriculum and Course Level Expectations

W HAT ACTIONS WILL WE TAKE IN OUR SCHOOLS AND BEYOND ?