1. Science Trio: NGSS Practices, Nature of Science, and the Habits of Mind
Dr. George O’Brien
Florida International University
Science Content & Methods Courses

3. NOS Pre-assessment We are going to begin with a pre-assessment.
Each of you will receive a list of 13 true-false questions regarding the Nature of Science.
Answer either true or false. If you think the answer is false, then write a short explanation of why it is false.

4. NOS Pre-assessment
Now that you’ve had a chance to think about NOS individually, we’d like you to get in groups of 3 or 4.
Go back through the 13 questions together, share your answers, come to a consensus, and write your answers on the colored half-sheet of paper for your GROUP ANSWER.
Just write TRUE or FALSE.

5. NOS QUIZ Science is a system of beliefs. FALSE
Most scientists are men because males are better at scientific thinking FALSE
Scientists rely heavily on imagination to carry out their work TRUE
Scientists are totally objective in their work FALSE
The scientific method is the accepted guide for conducting research FALSE
Experiments are carried out to prove cause and effect relationship FALSE
Scientific ideas are shared and debated among scientists in a social setting. TRUE

6. 8. All scientific ideas are discovered and tested by controlled experiments. FALSE
9. Scientific explanations are generated from evidence TRUE
10. When a theory has been supported by a great deal of scientific evidence, it becomes law FALSE
11. Scientific ideas are tentative and can be modified or disproved, but never proved. TRUE
12. Technology preceded science in the history of civilization TRUE
13. In time, science can solve most of society’s problems FALSE

7. Summarizing NOS …
Scientific explanations are based on empirical observations or experiments.
Scientific explanations are made public.
Scientific explanations are tentative.
Scientific explanations are historical.
Scientific explanations are probabilistic. Scientific explanations assume cause-effect relationships. Distinctions among causality, correlation, coincidence, and contingency separate science from pseudoscience.
 Scientific explanations are limited. Science cannot answer all questions.

9. Reference Paper There are a couple reference pages in your packet.
If you’d look at this one from BSCS VISTA on Guide to Communicating in Scientific Ways.
You’ll be working in small groups for the next activity, interacting with each other.
Take a look at the paper to remind you of meaningful ways for interaction and argumentation.

10. CUBE ACTIVITY
This activity is used to introduce the Nature of Science and Inquiry.
In the first part of the activity, students are given a numbered cube to involve students in asking questions—Students propose an explanation based on their observations.
You will list your observations and record your explanations for CUBE #1 and CUBE #2 on your Observation Sheet.
We’ve set up the Cube Activity in the 5E (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate) approach. The 5E Learning Cycle promotes inquiry-oriented lessons. Also, we will examine how this appropriately translates to the NGSS eight practices.

11. Use the Observation / Inference page for Cubes #1 and #2

12. CUBE ACTIVITY
ENGAGE: What do you know about how scientists do their work?
How would you explain a scientific investigation?
EXPLORE: (Investigate)
What is on the bottom of the cube?
Write your observations on your Observation Form.
What is the difference between an observation and an inference?
You will propose an explanation that is based on evidence.
Develop your explanation by combining observations.

13. CUBE ACTIVITY
EXPLAIN: Students discuss their data and work together to agree on an explanation. They connect experiences with the cube activity simulating scientific inquiry and provides a model for science.
Science originates in questions about the world.
Science uses observations to construct explanations.
The more observations you had that supported your proposed explanation, the stronger your explanation, even if you could not confirm the answer.
Scientists make their explanations public through presentations at professional meetings and journals.
Scientists present their explanations and critique the explanations proposed by other scientists.
You used observation, hypotheses (inferences), and data.

14. CUBE ACTIVITY EXTEND: 2ND CUBE; 3RD CUBE
A different activity that uses or applies the same concept in a different context.
EVALUATE:
Students create a cube that will be used as an evaluation exercise for other groups.
Assesses whether students understand the concept.

15. SCIENCE INQUIRY + Learning Cycle
Scientific inquiry includes systematic approaches to observing, collecting information, identifying significant variables, formulating and testing hypotheses, and taking precise, accurate, and reliable measurements. Understanding and designing experiments are also part of the inquiry process.

16. Your Reference paper gives you an overview of the 16 Habits

17. Habits of Mind
At our university, Florida International University, assessing dispositions and The Habits of Mind, is one of the key ideas of the Conceptual Framework of the College of Education.
These habits of mind began as “intelligent behaviors” and have evolved into what is now known as the Habits of Mind.
Arthur Costa and Bena Kallick have published extensively and promoted the teaching of these 16 Habits of Mind.

18. Identifying the Habits of Mind
Using your two reference papers-- Communicating in Scientific Ways and HoM -- use this paper in your packet to make connections between the Cube Activity and Habits.

19. Habits of Mind Persisting Managing impulsivity
Listening with understanding & empathy
Thinking about your thinking
Questioning and problem posing
Thinking & communicating with clarity and precision
Creating, imagining, innovating
Taking responsible risks
Thinking interdependently
Managing impulsivity
Thinking flexibly
Striving for accuracy
Applying old knowledge to new situations
Gathering data through all the senses
Responding with wonderment and awe
Finding humor
Remaining open to continuous learning.

20. NGSS Eight Practices More connections.
Using an inquiry activity, we can incorporate the learning cycle, NOS, HoM, science process skills, and the NGSS practices!
Look at the summary sheet and let’s see how we’ve done with the Cube Activity.

22. The Cube Activity
The cube activity is used with pre-service, in-service and graduate students in science education. The activity enables participants to experience the nature of science and to engage in the scientific inquiry process of asking questions, making observations, collecting data, making predictions and posing explanations based on evidence. As well as integrating the Habits of Mind, this activity also models the 5 E Learning Cycle of Learning [Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate] and now the eight practices of NGSS as well of concepts from the Nature of Science (NOS).

23. The cube activity

24. Participants then write down as many observations as they can
Participants then write down as many observations as they can. They should come up with at least 7 different observations. We also distinguish the difference between an observation and an inference. [Explore]
Each group then shares their observations.
Although the solution seems rather obvious, participants have to support their claims with the observational evidence. [Explain]
Participants next use these same inquiry techniques to a more complex cube. [Extend]
The Cube Activity

25. The Cube Activity
The activity is in two parts, the second building on the first.
Participants work in small groups of 3 or 4.
Each group is given a cube. One side is taped down, so that it is not visible. The other five sides are visible.
Participants initially examine the cube and pose the question: What is on the side we can’t see? [Engage]

26. The Cube Activity
Participants follow the same procedure on this second cube. However, this time they have more information.
On each side of the cube, there is a male or female name; a number in the upper right corner and a number in the lower left corner.
Groups work together making observations to have evidence to predict the name and the numbers in the left lower and right upper corners.

27. The Cube Activity
Using the two reference sheets, participants then identify Scientist’s Actions and the Habit of Mind used.
Habits of Mind have included:
Persisting (#1)
Thinking Flexibly (#4)
Questioning & Problem Posing (#7)
Using Prior Knowledge (#8)
Making Observations (#10)
Wonderment & Awe (#12)
Thinking Interdependently (#15)

28. The Cube Activity – Additional Extension
In the BSCS ViSTA Online Module – Inquiry (2010), participants view a video of a middle school science teacher working with her students following the same procedures as the 5 E Learning Cycle described in this slide presentation.
Participants working in the small groups are asked to collect data, make observations, make predictions, and write an explanation related to whether there is scientific inquiry in the science teacher’s classroom in this video.
Participants challenge one another’s thinking and responses to the question. The instructor probes members of each group with questions and challenges groups and individuals to present essential evidence to support each claim and/or to build alternative explanations.

29. The Cube Activity – Additional Extension
Using the reference sheets, participants then identify Scientist’s Actions and the Habit of Mind used by the middle school students in the video.
Habits of Mind identified have included:
Persisting (#1)
Listening & Understanding with Empathy (#3)
Thinking Flexibly (#4)
Questioning & Problem Posing (#7)
Using Prior Knowledge (#8)
Thinking & Communicating with Clarity & Precision (#9)
Making Observations (#10)
Thinking Interdependently (#15)

30. The Cube Activity – Some Assessment Findings
An important element of our end of the semester assessment is pre-service teachers creating a professional development plan and portfolio artifacts. Professional development goals in critical aspects of science education are co-created by the candidates and instructor for online presentation of artifacts in the TaskStream Assessment System. Each candidate is required to identify goals, action items related to progress to-date, evidence from the course experiences, and reflection in relation to the past, present, and future plans of the candidate. Six broad categories of goals have included: content knowledge, pedagogy, technology skills, management skills, impact on student learning, and communication skills.
The cube activity has been cited by several candidates in a recent semester as an activity that has influenced and impacted in positive ways their thinking about the meaning and importance of inquiry-based teaching and learning, scientific inquiry, communication in science, nature of science, and habits of mind.

31. References
This activity is adapted from Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science, Working Group on Teaching Evolution, National Academy of Science, 1998, and the
Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS). (2010). ViSTA
Project Online Modules. Boulder, CO. Online at
Additional reference & resource: Sommers, W. A., & Olson, W. (2010). Habits of Mind Teachers Companion. The Institute of the Habits of Mind. Westport. CT.

32. References
McComas, William. Keys to teaching the nature of science, The Science Teacher, November Chiapetta & Kaballa. Quizzing students on the myths of science. The Science Teacher, November American Museum of Natural History, Also see: NOS Collection by Kathy Sparrow: NSTA Learning Center, User Collections