Analyzing a Modeling Physics Unit on Graphing using The Thoughtful Classroom Curriculum Design Marcy Reynard Department of Physics State University of New York Buffalo State College 1300 Elmwood Ave Buffalo NY 14222 marclreynard gmail com Abstract This paper describes the similarities and differences between The Thoughtful Classroom and the Modeling Method of Physics instruction This paper attempts to analyze The Modeling Method via The Thoughtful Classroom Curriculum Design The idea is to integrate both methods of instruction to maximize the benefits of both In the lesson described students develop graphical models through steps in the modeling cycle by exploring the period of a pendulum This is further enhanced using tools and strategies from The Thoughtful Classroom like Compare and Contrast Acknowledgement This manuscript was prepared in partial fulfillment of requirements for PHY690 Masters Project at SUNY Buffalo State College under the guidance of Dr Dan MacIsaac The Thoughtful Classroom is a professional development program designed to help teachers to be more thoughtful in the classroom in terms of adhering to the needs of all students Silver Strong Perini Tuculescu 2004 The main goals for The Thoughtful Classroom are for all students to learn thoughtfully and well to have thoughtful teaching in every classroom and to have thoughtful leadership within schools and school districts The Modeling Method of Physics instruction shares similar goals The Modeling Method aims to make learning physics more meaningful for students by correcting weaknesses that are ignored by a more traditional lecture method Hestenes 1996 Modeling guides students in the development and use of basic models that help to explain scientific phenomena The Thoughtful Classroom is designed around the concept of keeping teaching and learning simple and deep which is what the Modeling Method does This paper will try to incorporate the Modeling Physics Unit Scientific Thinking in Experimental Settings into The Thoughtful Classroom Curriculum Design The development of graphing skills and the understanding of how equations are derived will be the main focus and what is used to show similarities and differences between the two methods of teaching The Hidden Skills of Academic Literacy Strong Silver and Perini have compiled a set of 12 skills that they believe underlie student success 2001 They have grouped these skills into 4 categories Reading and Study Skills Reflective Skills Thinking Skills and Communication Skills They have found that teachers who have designed instruction around the acquisition of these skills had more time and flexibility to select content and develop assessment tools These skills can be developed while students are kept actively engaged in learning Silver Strong 2006 Many of these skills are very similar to the skills that Modeling Physics tries to develop in students to better help them understand physical concepts Figure 1 The Modeling Physics Unit that will be analyzed in this paper U1 U1 GMsummary is designed to build skills such as reading and interpreting visual displays of information This can be done by engaging students in a hands on activity that has them exploring the variables that affect the period of a 1 pendulum This seemingly basic activity teaches students fundamental skills that will help them to construct scientific models in all topics of physics Figure 1 The Hidden Skills of Academic Literacy Strong et al 2001 Reading and Study Skills Reflective Skills Thinking Skills Collect and Plan effectively Make organize ideas Critique reasonable through noteinferences form performance taking hypothesis and Persevere when Use abstract test them work becomes Analyze and vocabulary difficult Read and apply models Conduct interpret visual displays of comparisons information Communication Skills Construct wellformed explanations Write effectively in many different genres Write effectively about readings Research Based Strategies The Thoughtful Classroom uses a set of instructional strategies that help to build critical thinking skills engage students and increase knowledge of content Marzano Pickering Pollock 2001 Strategies that correlate well with Modeling Physics are listed in Figure 2 Modeling Physics also focuses on engaging students through a series of steps organized into the modeling cycle Wells Hestenes Swackhamer 1995 The modeling cycle Figure 3 is a student centered instructional design It is broken down into two parts model development where students begin to develop a model through experimentation and model deployment where the model is put into practice and extended upon by the teacher Dukerich 2006 Each part will be discussed in more detail as it is analyzed within The Thoughtful Classroom Curriculum Design Figure 2 Research Based Strategies Silver et al 2004 Mastering Content Interactive Lecture Reasoning and Critical Analysis Compare and Contrast Inquiry Mystery Exploring and Synthesizing Ideas Metaphorical Expression Collaborating and Personalizing Learning Cooperative Learning Figure 3 Overview of the Modeling Cycle Dukerich 2006 Modeling Cycle Model Development Model Deployment A Qualitative Description A Extrapolation and Reinforcement B Identification of Variables B Refinement and Integration C Planning for the Experiment D Laboratory Experiment E Analysis of Experiment F Presentation of Experimental Results G Generalization 2 The Thoughtful Classroom Curriculum Design Silver and Strong have developed their own model for designing thoughtful units 2008 This model for unit design takes into account the importance of the previously mentioned hidden skills of academic literacy and research based strategies Figures 1 and 2 The Thoughtful Classroom Curriculum Design arranges specific lessons or activities into a blueprint format which uses the functions of different rooms in a house as a metaphor for specific aspects of a unit Figure 4 Most steps in the Modeling Cycle Figure 3 can be compared to each room in The Thoughtful Classroom blueprint Figure 4 The Thoughtful Classroom Curriculum Design blueprint Silver Strong 2008 FOYER Knowledge Anticipation Introducing the unit lesson Activating students prior knowledge Sparking student interest in the unit WORKSHOP Practice Giving students opportunity to practice what they have learned LIBRARY Knowledge Acquisition Providing students with information facts ideas and concepts PORCH Reflection Reflecting on what
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