1. Race to the Top
Ohio Annual Conference
Fall 2011
2. Creating Authentic Learning Experiences
through Team Developed Projects
The Dayton Regional STEM School
Kate Cook, Biology/Anatomy and Physiology
Arch Grieve, World History/Economics/Government
Jennifer Leitsch, Language Arts
Tracy Weissmann, Assistant Principal/Curriculum
http://www.daytonstemschool.org/
3. Mission
To prepare students with
the skills necessary to
compete in the global
economy while nurturing in
our young people the same
enthusiasm for discovery,
invention and application
that launched the vision for
powered flight.
4. Who are we?
We serve:
335 students (183 in 2011-11)
29 districts throughout 6 counties
67% white (224)
16% black (55)
11% Multi Racial (37)
4% Asian (15)
.8% Hispanic (3)
.2% American Indian (1)
25% Free/Reduced Lunch
7 districts transport
5. OUR PHILOSOPHY
By developing these five qualities
Persistence
Inquiry
Communication
Creativity
Collaboration
We create success!
6. OUR APPROACH
• Students engaged in
authentic, real-world
problems
• Students assessed in a
variety of ways
• Meaningful relationships
– school staff
– students & families
– the community
– business partners
– institutions of higher
education
7. 2011 OGT TEST SCORES
Subj A Adva Acceler Profic B Limit
ect LL nced ated ient asic ed
Rea 9 35.3 36.8 25 2. 0
ding 7.1 9
Mat 9 48.5 30.9 11.8 7. 1.5
h 1.2 4
Writi 9 2.9 60.3 32.4 4. 0
ng 5.6 4
Scie 9 42.6 25 23.5 8. 0
nce 1.2 8
Socia 9 49.3 20.3 23.2 4. 2.9
l 2.8 3
Studi
es
8. 2011 OAA TEST SCORES
Subj A Advan Acceler Profic B Limi
ect ll ced ated ient asic ted
Rea 1 39.6 33.3 27 0 0
ding 00
Mat 8 14.6 37.5 31.3 14 2.1
h 3.3 .6
Scie 9 39.6 27.1 31.3 2. 0
nce 7.9 1
10. Step 1: Learning Targets
How do we determine what to teach for mastery?
National Biology Standard:
In multicellular organisms, growth occurs via a
process called mitosis: a fertilized cell divides
successively into many cells, with each parent
cell passing identical genetic material to two
daughter cells.
-“A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Cross-cutting
Concepts, Core Ideas.” 2011.
DRSS Biology Learning Targets:
Cells - Students will describe structure and function of cells at the
intracellular and molecular level, the interactions between cells and
their environment, and the impact of cellular processes and changes
on individuals.
Molecular Basis of Heredity - Students will examine the role of DNA in
transferring traits from generation to generation, in differentiating cells,
and in evolving new species.
11. Step 2: Inspiration
What justifies an integrated unit?
Where do ideas come from?
• Cancer studies in
Wellness/Fitness
and Biology
• Greene County
Combined Health
District- real world
impact
13. Step 4: Essential Questions
Develop an overarching essential question and sub
questions.
• Overarching Questions – relevant, meaningful
• Specific questions for each content area -
designed to help answer the overarching
essential question through the lenses of the
different classes
Cancer Unit Overarching Question:
How can we prevent and reduce the
incidence of particular cancers in
Greene County?
14. Science: What is really going on in the body of a cancer
patient? How can we prevent cancer? How does early
detection help?
15. History: Mapping Cancer – What does it reveal? Does
place matter with regards to cancer? If so, how? How
can I use location to select a target audience for my
intervention?
16. Language Arts: How do people with cancer cope
with their diagnosis and treatment? How do cancer
patients communicate their experiences? How do I
design an intervention to help prevent/reduce the
incidence of Cancer in Greene County?
17. Math and Health
Math: How likely am I
to get cancer, and
how unique is my
cancer profile? How
serious a task is it to
remove cancerous
tissue from a part of
the body?
Health: How can our
behaviors reduce the
risk of cancer?
18. Step 5: Final Product
How do we make products relevant, meaningful, and
public?
Relevant, Meaningful,
and Public
– Product has real world
significance
– Product doesn’t already
exist
– Quality matters
– Make the work extend
beyond the school
– Allow for student choice
and voice
19. Step 6: Partners
How do we utilize partners
to make it meaningful?
20. Step 7: Implementation
What are the key aspects of implementation?
•Revisions/Multiple Drafts (self, peer to peer, partner,
teacher)
•Assessing the process, not necessarily the end product
• Rubrics (possibly student developed)
21. Models and Rubrics
• Collection of models on a Wikispace (http://drsscancer.wikispaces.com/)
• Students determine the characteristics that make the models work
• They use these critiques to outline their own rubric
• Rubrics are created with guidelines/input
22. Step 8: Reflection
How do students and teachers reflect on the process?
• Reflection
– Share with staff –
before or after
project
• Lessons Learned
from Cancer
Project
– Make expectations
to our partners clear
– Allow for student
choice and voice
23. Step 9: Public Exhibit
Share your work!
•Work with partners to make
work public
•Use as a way to share product
but also celebrate students’
work
25. Conflict and
Genocide Unit
Integrated unit between
Language Arts and World
History
Highlights
• Step 1-Learning
Targets
• Step 5-Final
Product
• Step 7-
Assessment
26. State Learning Targets
“Regional and ethnic conflicts in the post-Cold
War era have resulted in acts of terrorism,
genocide and ethnic cleansing.”
“Oppression and discrimination resulted in the
Armenian Genocide during World War I and the
Holocaust, the state-sponsored mass murder of
Jews and other groups, during World War II.”
Academic Content Standards Revision High School Social Studies Course Syllabi, Updated February
2011
27. My learning target based on the 10 NCSS
Themes
Power, Authority, and Governance : Students will look at
the Rule of Law vs. the Rule of Man and try to determine
whether or not the 20th Century has been one of progress or
one of decline in how we relate to one another in the realm of
government. We will study what legitimizes power, how
different countries are governed, and how one can bring
about changes in those types of governments. Case studies
will include power struggles in Iran, India, China, Northern
Ireland, Israel/Palestine, and South Africa. We will also study
various conflicts and genocides of the 20th Century, looking at
the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, Cambodia, Bosnia,
Rwanda, and Darfur, in an attempt to study these tragic
occurrences scientifically so we can understand how they
unfold and, more importantly, how they can be prevented.
29. Bodies Book
Unit
Integrated unit between
Biology and
Wellness/Fitness
Highlights
• Step 3 – Natural
Connections
• Step 4 – Essential
Questions
• Step 6 – Using
Partners
• Step 7 – Multiple
Drafts
30. National Learning Targets
Systems of specialized cells within organisms help them
perform the essential functions of life, which involve chemical
reactions that take place between different types of molecules,
such as water, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. All cells
contain genetic information in the form of DNA, which is where
genes are located. Genes contain the instructions that code for the
configuration of molecules called proteins, which carry out the work
of cells. Multicellular organisms have a hierarchical structural
organization, in which any one system is made up of numerous
parts and is itself a component of the next level. Feedback
mechanisms maintain a living system’s internal conditions within
certain limits and mediate behaviors, allowing it to remain alive and
functional even as external conditions change within some range.
Outside that range (e.g., at a too high or too low external
temperature, with too little food or water available), the organism
cannot survive. Feedback mechanisms can encourage (through
positive feedback) or discourage (negative feedback) what is going
on inside the living system. – “A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices,
Cross-cutting Concepts, Core Ideas.” 2011.
31. My Learning Target
Human Organism – Students will
understand how the human organism
provides protection by the immune and
nervous systems and cognition. Students
will explain some of the ways in which
human body systems interact to maintain a
fairly constant environment for cells.
33. Step 4: Essential Questions
What would it look like
if you could peel back your
skin and take a look inside
to see how your body
systems function?
34. Step 6: Partners
How do we utilize partners
to make it meaningful?
35. Step 7: Multiple Drafts
DRAFT 1
The cardiovascular system mainly depends on the heart and blood
vessels to transport blood throughout the body. Heart is in the
cardiovascular system, which pumps blood, with the help of arteries, veins,
and transport blood to cells in the body. (Texas Heart Institute)
FINAL DRAFT
The job of the circulatory system is to transport blood and O2
throughout the body. Blood carries oxygen from the lungs and nutrients from
food to the cells in the body. The circulatory system also helps remove
waste products such as CO2, from the cells. The circulatory system carries
carbon dioxide from the cells to the lungs in order be exhaled, and takes
waste products to the kidneys for removal from the body. The heart, the
main organ in the circulatory system, contains four chambers which help
pump blood throughout the body. The blood is pumped away from the heart
through the arteries, passes through the capillaries, and returns to the heart
through the veins (The Franklin Institute.edu).
36. Language Arts: Diversity & Inclusion Ad
Campaign
Integrated unit with Language Arts, Math, Wellness &
Fitness, and STEM Foundations
Highlights:
Step 2 – Inspiration
Step 3 – Product
Step 6 – Natural Connections
37. Inspiration & Product
• Ad Council’s
campaigns
• Data-driven
decisions with
class-constructed
survey
• Cohesive designs
39. Take Home Messages
1. Find natural connections
2. Find partnerships or help outside
the classroom
3. Find real world question and
issues that matter
4. Focus on the process, not
necessarily the product
*While people are entering the room. Part I- Tracy's intro/demographics Part II- Steps 1-10 (cancer unit) Part III- Arch's posters project slides Part IV- This is where you can put the bullying stuff, Jennifer Part V- Kate's bodies project slides
*Introductions/Contact Information
*Tracy
*Tracy
*Tracy
*Tracy Projects, portfolios, making work public, partners
*Tracy
*Kate - Introduction to Team Based Planning Notes: We have developed some common practices for team based planning – it breaks down into a nine step process.
*Kate – Learning Targets The first step is to look at the learning targets for the course. Start with National and State Standards, also determine what you want kids to know 5 or 10 years after they leave your class. From these ideas, we create our own learning targets for the course – sometimes they are more general that state/national standards, sometimes they are more sepcific than state/national standards, but all the time they are rooted in the standards. My example – looking at mitosis and cell division…use 2 much more general learning targets, but hit these learning targets through the theme of cancer, which is one of our unifying themes for the year (talk about in cell specialization, cells, genetics, health technology, etc).
*Kate – Inspiration Notes: We are using cancer as a unifying theme in both Biology and Wellness/Fitness – we should do something with this topic. Contacted GCCHD to see what we could do, they told the story of a breast cancer intervention several years ago – it was extremely successful but they haven’t been able to do anything like it since due to funding. This is where we come in!