NOS Resource Card Project

PHY 310 Spring Semester 2012

Nature of Science (NOS) resource cards will help you to incorporate a wide spectrum of NOS-related topics in your future teaching, as well as to establish high expectations for each student’s learning and behavior. They are excellent resources for conducting extensions of course work, and might be used as "filler" in the event that your students move more quickly through instructional activities than anticipated and you need to fill the extra time with meaningful classroom activities other than homework.

If you have not done so already, read A Framework for Teaching the Nature of Science and review the STERS project's Philosophical and Historical Nature of Science guidelines for additional ideas about teaching NOS; in particular, see the diagram under Step 2, Part IV, Assessment 3. In this project you will develop and share three (3) NOS resource cards that address some of the relevant major concepts, principles, theories, laws, and interrelationships of your field of licensure as recommended by the National Science Teachers Association. (You are strongly encouraged to include at least one activity related to the history of science among your three NOS resource cards.)

To this end, you will create resource cards (limit each to a two-page outline; see below for guidelines) from 3 of the 10 following areas:

• Examines the unifying concepts of science delineated by the National Science Education Standards (NSTA Standard 1b).
• Addresses important personal and technological applications of science in this area (NSTA Standard 1c).
• Addresses the historical and cultural development of science and the evolution of knowledge in this area (NSTA Standard 2a).
• Examines the philosophical tenets, assumptions, goals, and values that distinguish science from technology and from other ways of knowing the world (NSTA Standard 2b).
• Engages students successfully in the critical analysis of false or doubtful assertions made in the name of science (NSTA Standard 2c).
• Addresses the processes, tenets, and assumptions of multiple methods of inquiry leading to scientific knowledge. (NSTA Standard 3a)
• Addresses socially important issues related to science and technology in this area, as well as processes used to analyze and make decisions on such issues (NSTA Standard 4a).
• Engages students successfully in the analysis of problems, including considerations of risks, costs, and benefits of alternative solutions; relating these to the knowledge, goals and values of the students (NSTA Standard 4b)
• Identifies ways to relate science to the community, involve stakeholders, and use community resources to promote the learning of science (NSTA Standard 7a).
• Involves students successfully in activities that relate science to resources and stakeholders in the community or to the resolution of issues important to the community (NSTA Standard 7b).

1. Your Name - provide you complete name.
2. Title of Activity - indicate accurately and clearly the subject matter addressed in the resource card.
3. Target Grade / Course Title - indicate grade and course title in which this activity might best be employed.
4. Content Area - indicate where this topic would be best included within the curriculum of the course; they should address divergent subject matter (e.g., divergent instruction).
5. Standards Addressed - include one or more of the NSTA standards above (e.g., NSTA Standard 4c) as well as one or more from the Illinois Learning Standards (STATE GOAL 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems. STATE GOAL 12: Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences. STATE GOAL 13: Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts.
6. Student Performance Objectives - each NOS Resource Card must address four (4) pre-approved student performance objectives that state observable outcomes that can be assessed. If you are not familiar with how to write student performance objectives, you will need to review the PHY 310-related assignment dealing with the writing inquiry-oriented student performance objectives prior to beginning this activity.
7. Learning Activities - give an overview of what students are expected to do to achieve the student performance objectives; provide enough detail so that others in your discipline (e.g., Physics/ESS) can conduct this activity; be certain to provide several avenues for learning each objective (e.g., differentiated instruction).
8. Use - explain when, where, and how this activity might be utilized such as in class, as a group, project, or as homework.
9. Assessment - explain how you will determine if the students have achieved the project's student performance objectives using not less than two different formal assessments (e.g., differentiated instruction).
10. Revisions - Explain how you will use data from formal assessments and other student information to (re)design instruction that meets the diverse needs of students and leads to their ongoing growth and achievement.
11. Materials - state what materials are needed per student or per student group of 3-5 students or whole class if appropriate.
12. Modifications - indicate how this activity might be conducted using alternative resources if reasonable.
13. Source - give credit for this idea if it is not your own; otherwise, indicate "N/A" if this was your own idea.